Four Walls
by PoisonPen7
Summary: AU circa New Moon. The Cullens leave and Bella almost moves on, that is until she's captured and experimented on by the Volturi. Now a bad-ass hybrid with lots of issues, a new Bella returns home to find the Cullens are back and a certain former best friend who can no longer hide her feelings. Alice/Bella pairing. M for language, violence, and adult situations - Complete
1. Leaving is Never Easy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

 **Author's Notes: This will be an eventual Bella/Alice pairing. For the purpose of this story Bella's birthday is in March and she starts off in her junior year. I hate the book and movie whiny Bella, so yeah that's changing. Story starts off just Bella POV but will get to some Alice later. Please pardon my mistakes, I'm no English major. Not a song fic but it is named after Bastille's "Four Walls"**

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 **After Completion Author's Notes: This is/was my first fanfic and I didn't really get into the proper chapter length until a few chapters in. I realize that now. So yes, the first several chapters are hella short and not much dialog, however it mends out. I would go back and combine things but it's much too much work to figure out where exactly to merge each chapter and figure out new names and such. But I promise you they get to about an average length around chapters 10-15 and beyond. And yes, the pace in the beginning is rushed as well, but it gets much slower after the initial events and things skimmed over will be further explained in time. That was on purpose.  
**

 **Even now after re-reading this story several times I've found a few little mistakes. Again, way too much time to recover each chapter and fix them, because I know I'd find more after another re-read. Really though, they're quite minor.  
**

 **Now enough of my talking. I don't want to scare ya off. I promise it's worth a view or two. Maybe even more. ;)**

 **Anyways, give it a read if you feel so inclined and reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!**

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 **Chapter 1:** **Leaving is Never Easy**

 **Bella POV:**

He left me. In the middle of the forest, he left me. This was all I could think of as I sluggishly made my way back home. Stumbling slowly through the forest, paying little attention to where I was walking, and muttering angrily to myself. He left me. He fucking left me. How could I ever love someone as cold as that? Well I guess technically he is cold temperature wise, wait I'm getting off track here. Edward Cullen and his family left me. Well fuck them I guess.

It took me nearly an hour to get back to my house. I knew I looked like a horrible mess, but I ignored the confused look Charlie gave me and I went straight up to my room without a word. I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened in the past several months. Moving from Phoenix to Forks, meeting the Cullens, and dating Edward. Everything had seemed like a strange fucked up fairytale until a week ago on my 18th birthday. My best friend Alice Cullen had thrown this extravagant party against my wishes, although I could never get mad at her. But of course my clumsy old self had to cut her finger on the wrapping around a gift. After that it got kind of blurry, but you do the math, seven vampires and one bleeding human. Not the best word problem out there. I knew the incident had freaked a few of them out but really I knew what to expect when dating a vampire. I wasn't surprised or scared in the least, really more angry with myself. But of course the martyr Edward had to break up with me. Deep down I knew he was lying about not loving me anymore, and how it was really about not wanting to endanger me further. But really what could I possibly do? I'm a weak little human here.

So here I am, gazing at the ceiling, thinking what am I going to do now? My head was pounding with my inner dialogue fighting with itself. Well Swan, you got dumped. Time to buck up and move on. Easier said than done Bella. You got dumped by a whole family, your boyfriend, and your best friend. Eventually I fell into an uneasy slumber dreading the field day that Jessica would have tomorrow with me.


	2. Taken

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 2: Taken**

 **A Month or so Later**

 **Bella POV:**

Things have gotten weird, to say the least. The Volturi have come out of their hiding and announced their presence to the world. Their reason: to experiment on humans and create a slave army. Don't ask me how or why cause nobody knows. The disappearances of so many people became too hard to cover up, so they let the whole world know what was what. This was one of the few times I was happy I already knew about the existence of vampires, it saved me a lot of head troubles. Pretty much all of Europe, Africa, and Asia are in a state of emergency over it all since they've been hit the hardest. The scary part is, it doesn't appear as though they are trying to take over, they're just taking people. People who end up being found dead weeks later on various shores.

But I'm not worried. For one, I am living in Washington. Not even close to where the last disappearances have been (I think the latest was around New York?). And secondly, my boyfriend happens to be a badass shapeshifter. Yep. Turns out those legends about the Quileutes were _all_ true. My best friend Jacob Black happened to be a shapeshifting wolf. Don't ask me how we started dating, it just kind of happened. It was easy, Jacob makes me happy and he makes me laugh. I know he can protect me but he doesn't treat me like some porcelain doll like Edward did. With Jake I can actually picture a future with him, and it's nice. I figured out a while back that my feelings for Edward were just strong infatuation with the pretty boy and his nice family. Jake is real, and I can feel how much he loves me. Do I love him? Yes. But am I _in_ love with him? No. I don't think I'll ever be _in_ love with someone. It just seems like a Hollywood myth.

Anyways, Jake and I decided to catch a movie tonight in Seattle for our big date night. Charlie was out on duty with some gang activity near Port Angeles so Jake wanted to be with me to make sure I was ok. The theatre was pretty warm so I decided to take off my jacket during the movie. When the credits started rolling Jake and I got up and walked out the back entrance as it was closer towards the restaurant.

"Oh shit I forgot my jacket!" I said right when the door behind us latched shut and a blast of cold air hit me. I started to make my way around the building to the front so I could go back in and get it. I am such an idiot sometimes I swear.

"Hey Bells I got it. No need to run around. I got that wolf energy remember?" He winked at me, "Stay put I'll be right back my lady." I giggled as I watched him jog around the building. Like I said, Jake makes me laugh. I leaned against the side of the structure thinking about him and our future. It brought a smile to my face.

Suddenly I heard loud screeching of tires next to me. I jumped up from my position trying to get away from the sound and towards a more lighted surrounding. But a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Oh there's no use in running my dear. You _do_ smell quite delicious. I hope I can contain myself before you make it to Volterra." I knew that no human could ever talk with that perfect tone. I turned to face shining crimson eyes of a man I could only assume was from the Volturi. Before I even had time to think about running, he had my hands tied and a firm grip on my neck that stopped me from screaming. Just as he was shoving me into a windowless van (cliché right?) I saw the face of Jacob Black running towards me as fast as he could.

"BELLA!" He wasn't close enough and I knew. The man who had a hold of me sneered at him and slammed the van door shut just as we went screeching off. Jake was the last thing I saw before they put a bag over my head. He was the last thing I saw for a while in fact.


	3. Marked

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 3: Marked**

 **Three Days Later**

 **Bella POV:**

I don't know how long I've had this bag over my head, but it's been quite a while. It's safe to say I have no idea where I am or how I got here. Wherever it is, it's boiling hot and humid. The traveling has been a nightmare. There are several of people I've been squished between, which isn't really helping with breathing. Every once in a while someone near will cry out or whimper, but then someone else comes along and shuts them up. I've just been moved to probably my fifth different room they've shoved me into, but this time they tore the bag off my head at last.

I immediately squinted against the newfound light in my eyes. A quick scan of the room made my stomach lurch. This is where I'm going to die. There appeared to be one other human in the chamber, a male around my age. Then of course there were three vampires, one checking over my vitals and such, another doing the same with the boy, and one vampire in the middle of the room who was obviously their superior. Noticing that both humans were staring at him he spoke.

"Hello my name is Aro," I instantly recognized his name, it's not one to forget. Yep, definitely dying here. "I am sure you are wondering why you are here and what is going to happen to you. Well, if I succeed you will become my most prized possessions." He smiled at this bit. He seemed a little off his rocker to me, even for a vampire. "The humans are getting cleverer. They are creating weapons that can destroy my kind, the vampires you see. Well we can't have that can we now? So I am trying to create obedient soldiers that the humans cannot destroy. Royal soldiers for the Volturi that will have no need to disobey orders." At that moment I felt a sharp pain in my arm and gasped. The vampire who was previously checking my vitals was taking a needle with ink to my left forearm. Aro smirked at my outburst and continued his I'm sure well-rehearsed speech. "Felix and Demetri are both marking you as Volturi property. From now on your serial number is your name. You will only answer to your number. That is, of course, if you survive." A Cheshire grin spread across his face and with a swish of his cloak he left the room.

I looked down once again to my throbbing forearm that now had a serial number etched in black ink across my skin. _173952_. I could already picture Charlie finding my body washed up on some shore with this number on me. My heart ached thinking about it. Eighteen years old and dead before I even graduated high school. I looked across from me at the boy and wondered who he was leaving behind and how he got here. Demetri and Felix regarded each other and nodded, each pulling out two matching syringes.

"This won't hurt a bit." The vampire inserting the needle into my arm gleefully said. I just closed my eyes and prayed that it would be a quick death.


	4. Keep Yourself Alive

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 4: Keep Yourself Alive**

 **Bella POV:**

My prayers weren't answered, I was in agony. Every part of my body felt as though it were on fire for what seemed like an eternity. Finally when the burning was over, it felt as though someone had pumped ice into my very veins. My body was numb. How long have I been here? Did I die and go to hell? Eventually I started to sense my body coming back to me. But time was still moving at an agonizing pace. And then, I woke up.

Everything. I could hear and see everything. Every crack in the walls that were holding me captive. Every whisper or step a guard made outside the door to my side. Every creak the metal chains made that were holding me, as I struggled against them. I feel much stronger, why can't I break them? The boy that was across from me before was once again lying across the room from me. He was beginning to stir as I had just moments before. I watched him struggle against the chains as well, and I saw his eyes widen at his newly heightened senses. I don't think he had noticed me yet so I decided to make my presence known.

"Hey." I whispered softly to him. He jumped immediately, but his face softened once he saw my own. He must remember me as well. "Um, I'm Bella." I cringed. This is awkward. I mean what else am I supposed to say?

"I'm Liam. Liam Jackson." He whispered back to me. I gave him a small smile. But before I could begin to reply the door swung open and a chilling voice rung through the cell.

"Marvelous! How marvelous!" Aro seemed to be on a high of some sort from our survival. "I knew this batch would be the one. How do you feel little ones?" Liam and I just looked at each other. What am I supposed to say? Oh I feel fantastic, thank you for taking me against my will and holding me captive while you tortured me. Definitely not. Our silence did not seem to put a damper in Aro's mood however. "Well I guess I should explain just what we gave you maybe?" You think? Or maybe how about why? "It's quite special really. We combined vampire venom with shifter and werewolf blood. And a little something special but let's not reveal all our secrets shall we?" He was smiling that sick smile that looked like he wanted us to jump up in applause or something. Like he was giving us the greatest gift on Earth. I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around the vampire part. I took a peek at Liam again who had the same facial expression that I'm sure was on my face at the moment. Suddenly Felix and Demetri came into the room, each grabbing us roughly and unchaining us from the walls. "We're just going to see what you can do now dears. How good of assets you are for us." Aro said while still smiling like a jackass.

I've been here about two months now I think. It's mostly consisted of torture in the name of science, AKA killing me repeatedly in twisted ways to see what hurts more and if I still come back to life. Yeah I can't die. I really wish I could. Every time they kill me it's like being changed all over again. The burning, the numbing cold, and the eventual waking up confused and disorientated. Like I said, torture. The only good thing in here is Liam. When they're not torturing us, they're storing us in our filthy little cell. It was awkward at first to make conversation but being tortured makes for some great bonding. I told him everything about my old life and he told me his. The poor guy was only 16 years old when they took him from his home in Virginia. He's a really good guy, never knew about vampires before all this. He was amazed when I told him about the Cullens. Ah the Cullens. I would be lying to you if I told you I hadn't been secretly hoping they would come to my rescue. Alice could see the future right? Didn't she see me being taken? Didn't she care? Of course not, I thought bitterly. No one cares about us now.

That's right. We're killers. Cold blooded killers. We still have blood in our veins and can bleed. We can sleep and eat I think. But basically there's two beasts inside us, a wolf and a vampire. The wolf is more human you could say, less aggressive. Once Aro and Caius had figured this out they wanted nothing to do with it. Forcing the vampire out of us by making us feed. How did they make us feed? Simple; by torture of course. Oh no not us technically. They would torture the humans slowly in front of us until the humans were begging for us to make it quick and easy. Eventually you give into that. Yes the blood tastes fucking fantastic, but the innocent lives shed is killing my insides. The beast inside of me loves the slaughter. It purrs every time I make a kill. And I hate myself for it.

Apparently we weren't being as submissive as they would have liked us to be. So Aro's sick little mind got his goons to hunt down our families. And Aro did what he always does with humans, he made us kill them. But I try not to think of that. I try not to think about a lot of things they've done to me. Especially Caius.

This is my life now. I almost don't even remember what freedom feels like. Felix threw me back into my tiny cell of a home, and I could already feel my body giving up for the day. Liam lay next to me and I could hear him drifting off into sleep as well.

"We have to get out of here. We have to do something Liam." I whispered with all the energy I had left.

"I know." He replied, and we both passed out.


	5. Final Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 5: Final Hour**

 **Bella POV:**

Once our minds were made up, it took about a month to get our plan straight. The good thing about the Volturi is that they work like clockwork. I'm sure that's Aro's doing. Their schedules ran like a German train station. Liam and I paid attention to everything and everyone. We knew all the guards' weaknesses and were ready to strike. Finally our day had come.

It was about mid-morning, they had fed us and put us in our cell for a short period of time while they prepared for a day's work of making our lives a living hell. Well not today, no sir. As soon as the guards cleared the doors Liam and I were on our feet waiting for the perfect moment. When it came, we struck. I took out the first guard in no time, he was a nobody, but he had a weapon. It looked like a simple handgun but my experience taught me better. This thing had power. Power sufficient to pierce the skin of a full vampire. But the bullets were where the real magic was. Each one was filled with venom, enough to make any vampire stop in their tracks for a bit. We started running. We had listened to the guards' every move for the past month and we had a good idea of which steps to take to get to an exit. Getting there may be an issue though. Another guard caught sight of us and was about to shout before Liam got his head.

"Nice." I said forgetting the situation we were in. It was an impressive kill.

"No time!" he yelled at me. Oh right. We're kind of escaping right now. Get your head out of your ass Swan. We ran further into the maze of hallways. An alarm started blaring over our heads. "Shit that can't be good." We started running faster. I had never gotten to run this fast before, this was what I was running for. I pushed my beaten legs harder. Demetri jumped out of nowhere and I had no time to fight him, he actually had some skills. I instinctively shot at his frame and he fell screaming. Not too bad a shot. More guards were chasing us and yelling for us to stop. I just kept shooting blindly behind me until I ran out of bullets. Right when I ran out we saw the most beautiful thing in the world, light streaming from the outside. We knew what to do, we had planned this. Right when the door to our freedom burst open, we phased. Liam and I had only voluntarily shifted into our wolf forms once before, but with what was at stake, it had never felt easier. And then we just ran.

We ran all through the night. Luckily wherever we were had nice forest space, we figured somewhere in South America. Eventually when the distance felt safe enough we shifted back into our human forms near a deserted cabin. It obviously hadn't been used in years but it was plenty for us. We raided the closet and found some simple clothing to put on. I wandered around the cabin a bit wondering who used to live here. I came across a mirror in the bathroom, and for the first time in three months, looked at what remained of me.

I had aged so much in so little time. I looked around 22 or 23, but my eyes looked dead. They were blood red. I flinched and looked at the rest of myself, not focusing on my eyes. My hair had not grown from when the Volturi cut it when they processed me in. My body was thin but muscular, it looked as though I was gone through war. There were multiple bruises, gashes, and dried blood caked on parts of my body. I wished that we had running water to shower. I felt I needed to cleanse my body from the Volturi. I ran my fingers through my short choppy hair. What have they done to me?

I walked slowly back to where Liam was and I found him looking at himself in a mirror by the closet. I can't really remember what he used to look like as a human, I only saw him that one time. But I do think he was thinner like I was. He caught sight of me behind him in the mirror and turned to face me. "Well," he grimaced, "what do we do now?"


	6. Addicted

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Authors Notes: Thank you all for the support, it means a lot to me. I promise it will be picking up soon and the Cullens will be coming back in the next few chapters. I just need to build some character development. Bella is a lot more complex beneath that hard exterior. Anyways, I will be trying to keep the updates coming. I literally post these chapters minutes after I write em so I know there are some mistakes. Again thank you all.**

 **Chapter 6: Addicted**

 **Bella POV:**

Blood. That's all I can think about now. We've been on the run for a couple weeks now and have been trying to keep a low profile back in the states. Easier said than done when you're killing a human or two a day. And those are on good days. There are plenty of bad days.

I swear the burn in my throat gets worse and worse with every drop of blood I consume. But I've given up control, or most of it I guess. We try to target criminals and convicts, but mistakes happen. What can you expect? I was created for the purpose of killing. I was damn good at it too, made it almost an art on the people that really deserved it. They say that you shouldn't play with your food, but the smell of true fear is a delicacy. We're monsters and we know it. My humanity is being chipped away with every life I take, and I can't say I feel bad about it. I try not to feel anything really.

I know it bothers Liam more than he lets on. He seems less fucked up in the head than I am, his humanity remains intact. But even he cannot control his beast of thirst.

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Eventually the fire in my throat is not being soothed by a fresh kill, and I know why. I shouldn't be here. I should have died months ago in a cell as a human, innocent and young. I've never wanted the sweet release of death so much in my life. Liam suggests starving ourselves and hopefully fading away. I don't care anymore, it's as good a plan as any.

After a few days I felt my body grow weak from the starvation and my throat was throbbing. It will all be worth it if I die. That's what I live for now, my death. But eventually instead of growing weaker and weaker by the day, I feel myself getting stronger. The pain in my throat is receding and it feels as though I have just awoken again.

"It's the wolf." Liam says as he flexes his arms. I gasp when I catch sight of his face.

"Your eyes! The-they're gray!" His eyes widen as he looks into mine. I can see my eyes reflecting against his, they're a light gray as well. I look down at my body and flex just as Liam is. I feel different, stronger, more in control, more me. "The wolf." I repeat Liam's words from before and smile despite myself. I can't remember the last time I felt this good.


	7. Feed the Wolf

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **A/N: The long awaited Cullens will be in next chapter after a little time jump. This chapter was named after Breaking Benjamin's new song if anybody knows it.**

 **Chapter 7: Feed the Wolf**

 **Bella POV:**

I'm free. Well as free as I'll ever be. Not anchored down by the need for human blood anymore. Of course you can't quit cold turkey without some consequences. We drink, probably too much, but those are the perks of being a wolf, we can get drunk. And drinking to forget is always a plus. I also seemed to have picked up a nervous habit of smoking when I have nothing to do. It calms me down a bit, and it's not like I can get cancer or anything.

Life on the road is fun. The Volturi have gone back into hiding after losing us. The whole world knows there are two crazy lab experiments running rampant, but they don't know it's us. As long as we keep our sleeves down. I don't know why the Volturi didn't reveal our identities to the world. Liam thinks it's to avoid unwanted sympathy for us, although I doubt it. Pretty much everyone hates us and I don't blame them. But they'll never know what happened behind those closed doors. Nonetheless, like I said, life on the road is fun. We're still keeping low profiles while we move from party to party. While the Volturi are publicly hiding, I'm sure they're still actively searching for any hints of our whereabouts.

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I can't help but feel as though I'm wasting my life. Here we are, with so much potential to do good in the world and we've only done evil's bidding. Liam agrees. But what are we supposed to do? Roam the streets and fight off crime by night, the friendly neighborhood hybrid-man? I think not. No, we needed something real. So we went to the Pentagon.

Yeah I know we're crazy. But you do crazy shit when you're only afraid of one thing. Well maybe two, I'm not sure about one of them. They let us explain ourselves and seemed happy to help. Top brass were shaking in their boots when we got sent to their division. It was some super secretive one with a crazy ass commander. That's who we were meeting today, Commander Michael Colt. The man was apparently direct and efficient as hell, and I was eager to meet him.

"Good afternoon Miss Swan and Mr. Jackson." He greeted us as we walked into his office. I could see what looked like our files sitting on his desk. So he did his research. He motioned for us to sit in the two seats facing his desk. I think I like this guy. He wasn't afraid, but I could tell he respected us. "Let me get straight to the point then," oh yeah I definitely like this guy. "I want you in this division." Well that's surprising. He chuckled lightly at our dumbfounded faces. "You realize you two could be neck deep in bodies right now if you really wanted? But you don't, and I respect that. You can do a lot of good work here if you want the job. I would like you two to be able to enjoy your young lives." He finished with a sad smile on his face. I was at a loss for words.

"Yes sir! What would we be doing?" Liam was shaking with excitement, like a puppy getting a new toy.

"Well to start off I'd send you to marine division that's down in the Middle East right now. They're highly trained and will get you up to snuff. Then once you're good and ready we can send you on some real missions. Like hunting killer vampires and such." He looked at me when he said that last part. I had a good feeling that he was working on the Volturi problem. "So, are you in?" His question was aimed at me. Liam looked at me expectantly and I grinned.

"I guess so."


	8. What Have We Done?

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **A/N: Here is a timeline to help with what is going on:**

 **Bella's Birthday: March 7 (Yes, I know it's not canon)**

 **Cullens Leave: March 11**

 **Taken: April 22**

 **Turned: April 27**

 **Escape: July 23**

 **Bella and Liam join division: August 15**

 **Bella returns to Forks: September 12 (Don't worry, I will expand on it next chapter)**

 **School Starts: September 20**

 **Chapter 8: What Have We Done?**

 **Alice POV:**

I miss her. I miss her like hell and it's tearing me apart. Jasper can't even be in the same room with me anymore from the pain that emits from me. I can't take this anymore, I have to see her.

"Alice no." Fuck I forgot Edward was next to me.

"Edward you wanted to leave! I didn't choose this!" Esme put her hand on my shoulder to calm me. "There is something calling me to her. Like she needs me or something!" Edward rolled his eyes.

"What she _needs_ is a vampire free life. And how would you know anyways? You haven't been able to see her since she started dating that dog." I growled angrily. Damn Jacob Black. I can't hate him too much however, he did seem to make her feel better. At least when I was able to see her after they had hung out. But ever since they started really dating she was gone from my sight. That irked the hell out of me.

"Alice do you still think she's your mate?" Emmet had quietly been listening. He's actually really sensitive about Bella, I know he misses her too.

"She's not her mate!" Edward yelled angrily. "We've talked about this. Her hair and eyes are completely different." He was talking about the girl I had seen as my mate in my visions. I had had visions of her for as long as I can remember. Her hair was short and choppy and her face was hard. But it resembled Bella's a lot. Carlisle had guessed maybe they were related somehow. But her eyes were so strange. In the beginning of my visions they would change from red to gold. The same gold color our eyes were. But as time passed her eyes changed from red to a beautiful light gray. She was absolutely stunning.

"Well she's not yours!" I yelled back at Edward. He had realized she wasn't his mate once he left. He didn't feel much pain from the separation at all. Carlisle said it would never be that easy to leave a mate like that. But I had a feeling I was leaving mine. He started growling at me, and I at him. Emmet moved to get in between us just as Rosalie walked in with what looked like a newspaper in her hands. She looked completely devastated.

"We have to go back." She whispered. Esme moved to comfort her.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" She asked concernedly. Rosalie just handed her the paper in her hands. Esme looked over it briefly and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh no," she whispered, "Bella."

That got me up. "What? What's wrong? Is Bella ok?" I snatched the paper from her.

 _ **Forks Journal**_

 _ **September 16, 2018**_

 _ **The town is still in mourning as the funeral for highly decorated Chief of Police Charlie Swan passes. Chief Swan served the town of Forks for over twenty years and had dedicated his life towards the people of this city. His death was tragically caused by an ongoing investigation of gang violence in Port Angeles. Chief Swan disappeared on the night of April 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **and his body was not found until mid-May. Newly appointed Chief Phillips has informed us that the gang violence is now their top priority.**_

 _ **This loss comes on top of the already devastatingly loss of Renee and Phil Dwyer, mother and step-father to local student Isabella Swan, daughter of Chief Swan. The Dwyers were heartbreakingly killed in a car accident on the 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **of May. The 18 year old was not to be seen for the months after Chief Swan's disappearance and in grieving. Close friends of Miss Swan recount her withdrawal from the public eye. "I think it was just too much for her to take. She already lost her boyfriend back in March and then all her parents. She ran away and didn't want to come back." Jessica Stanley quotes. The funeral for Chief Swan was delayed until Isabella's return this past week. However, it did not seem that she made an appearance. Miss Swan will return to school as a senior at Fork high in the upcoming week, and we will all be thinking of her in this trying time.**_

 _ **-Daniel Cohen, Forks Journal Reporter**_

I sank to my knees and sobbed. "Bella. Oh Bella." Rosalie wrapped her arms around me while the rest of the family passed around the paper with somber expressions. "What have we done?"

"It wasn't our fault Alice. You can't blame yourself for the unexpected." Rosalie whispered to me.

"We should have been there Rose! She lost everything and had no one to comfort her!" Some best friend I was. Carlisle had come out of his study and read the paper quietly. When he was finished he addressed the whole family.

"Rosalie is right. We're going back to Forks."


	9. What's Left of It

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 9: What's Left of It**

 **Bella POV:**

Liam and I have been with our division for about a month now and have been loving it. Technically the division's name is S.T.O., but no one knows what it stands for. We're pretty sure they just randomly picked three letters to cause confusion and look official. The marines we work with are great people, we learned pretty much everything from them. After we were situated and caught up on how to actually lead in the military we were on missions almost every day. We're pretty fast learners so it really didn't take that long. Perks of having a super brain. Turns out I'm a damn good pilot, something to do with my fast reflexes. So when I'm not in the ground leading squads on operations, I'm up in the air. It's actually really peaceful up there, and you know, planes go fast. I never understood the whole supernatural need for speed thing until now.

Liam is loving life just as much as I am. We've gotten to go on a few Intel operations for information on the Volturi. They've been laying real low since the word got out that the two escapees were working for the government. That cut out a lot of enemies and gave S.T.O. a big name, but also gave Commander Colt a lot of flak. He's been taking it real well though, telling the press they have no clue what we've been through and to shut the hell up. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I really like that guy. That is until about ten seconds ago when he told us our next assignment, to go home.

"You're joking! After all we've done? You want us to go home and act fucking normal?" Liam was outraged. He was practically spitting in Colt's face.

"No it's not like that. Liam please?" He waited until Liam went back down into his seat across the desk. "You'll still work for us and have a few jobs to do every month, but I would like you to have closure and experience. You're great at what you do and have done fantastic jobs. But I think you can agree with me when I tell you that you don't have the best human relations skills." We both grumbled. Yeah I guess we're not the best with humans besides a few friends in our squads. It's hard to remember being human and how to act normal. "Look, all I'm asking is that you go back to your home towns, finish up your official schooling, and maybe learn from what is around you. I promise you can come back here full time once you're done. Now, go pack your things and I'll send your paperwork." He finished with authority in his voice as he got up and left the office. Well, I guess I'm going back to Forks.

* * *

It was a frenzy when I arrived. My story was simple and very believable since Charlie was taken by the Volturi the same night I was. His blood had the same mouthwatering scent as mine did and they wanted the set. Driven by the grief of losing Charlie right after being dumped by the Cullens, I had run away from home like a dramatic teenager. Then I stayed away when once again tragedy struck when my mother and step-father ended up dead. A car crash? The Volturi really went out of their way when it came to protecting our identities from the world. Everyone was trying to comfort me when I didn't need or want it. They would never know the truth. I didn't attend the funeral. How could I?

Of course I went to Jacob right away. He would know who I was considering he was there. Jake was just beyond elated that I was even alive. The only people he ever told about that night was the pack so I just had to deal with them and I was good to go. Once they let me explain as much as I could to them they welcomed me with open arms. I was part wolf after all. Jake kept blaming himself for what happened even though I told him it was not his fault at all. I don't think he'll ever get over it really, but I do have my friend back. The transition was actually running smoothly until Jake ran into my room one morning panting out of breath.

"They're back Bella. The Cullens are back."

 **A/N: I know I really rushed the training and stuff but you know they are really smart now and catch on quick. And I can say from first hand experience that with the right training and instructors, they can plunge you into military life and leadership fast as hell.**


	10. Overload

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **A/N: I know I've been rushing up to this point but I swear we're slowing down a bunch. This is where the fun begins right? Huge shout out to everyone that has followed, favorited, and reviewed. Seriously thank you guys so much from the bottom of my heart.**

 **Chapter 10: Overload**

 **Alice POV:**

We're back in Forks. The whole family agreed it would be best not to seek Bella out at the moment, she probably doesn't want to see us. School starts tomorrow and I can't wait to lay my eyes on her at last. It's taking all my will power not to just go to her house and watch her like a creep right now. The word is out that we're back, so I'm sure Bella has heard by now. I'm trying to be hopeful, but really all I can think about it how can she forgive us? It will take time and effort. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, it's worth it.

 **Bella POV:**

Fuck. My. Life. Why? Why me? I just started getting settled in. Why the fuck are they back? Is this because of me? Did they hear news about my parents somehow? Fuck! What he fuck am I supposed to do? I can't act normal around them! They left me! They fucking left me and now they have the audacity to come back into my life? I was seething. Jake backed up a little, fearing that I might phase. I scoffed. I have more control than that. Shit I do need a cigarette though. Or maybe a carton or two.

"Bella? Are, are you ok?" Jake seemed tentative as he followed me outside so I could light up. I took a deep breath and sighed.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know. I just have the shittiest luck." He nodded and sat with me while I thought. How am I supposed to go to school without killing them? How can I look them in the eye after what they did? My stomach churned at the thought of dealing with Edward. Or even my former best friend Alice. Do they expect to just pick up where they left? There's no way in hell that's happening. I needed some time to think and figure out a game plan. "How would you feel about skipping school tomorrow?" Jake's face split into a wide grin at my question. But all too soon his smile was replaced by a serious expression.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You can't avoid them forever. You do have orders."

"I know I know. Just tomorrow. I just need a day to prepare myself. And it'll make my life easier to have Jessica give them all the gossip first. Let them get a glimpse at what they're dealing with before I come in." My mind was made up. Colt would understand my predicament, just as long as I kept my absence to the one day. Jake and I sat the rest of the night in silence.

 **Alice POV:**

School today! Bella today. I'm practically vibrating as we pull into the parking lot. No sign of Bella's truck yet, but we did get in pretty early. We all got out of the cars and my siblings started chatting about something I wasn't paying attention too. My eyes were scanning for any sign of her. As the clock was getting closer and closer to eight, I began to fret that our being here may be the cause of the problem.

"Oh I heard from the main office she won't be in today. Not surprising really. She seems the type to take advantage of her situation to skip." That got my attention. Of course it was Jessica Stanley gossiping with her group of friends.

"Her situation Jess? Her parents died. Jesus, give her a break." I always like Angela. She walked away from the group with an annoyed expression on her face. As she walked to her morning class she looked at me with a strange expression on her face. Like sorrow and irritation combined.

"She wants to know why we're here." Edward announced the answer to my unasked question. "She doesn't think it's a good idea." My siblings and I all exchanged brief looks at each other before we headed our separate ways for classes.

Sometimes I really hate having super hearing. Every nasty whisper about my Bella, I have to hear. Wait, my Bella? Ok, if I'm being completely honest here I have been in love with her since she ran off that day to face James alone. I had never known fear like that before in my very long life. It's when I realized I cared about her much more than a best friend. But she was in love with my brother and I'm not a homewrecker. Hiding my feelings from Edward was tough but I was able to do it for a long time. Jasper was my saint, he knew and never told anyone. He said it wasn't his place, what a southern gentleman. Eventually I slipped though, and Edward found out about my feelings for his girlfriend. Honestly I think that may have helped his decision to leave her. He felt uncomfortable and threatened by our closeness. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. I know she's not my mate but there's something there pulling me. The gossiping about her is fringing my nerves so badly that I might just leave early. Although all of the talk is giving me a good indication on how Bella has been.

Word around the lockers is that Bella took all the inheritance money and invested well. Mike and Eric can't stop talking about her new Audi and how hot it is. An Audi huh? I thought she loved her beast of a truck? And she doesn't like fast or flashy things. Jessica and Lauren are on a rant about her bad personality and lack of any emotion. Well of course she's not showing any emotion to you bitches! She'd just get ridiculed of being too sensitive by you! God I need to calm down before I kill one of these sluts. I decided to sit with Angela and Ben at lunch to get the real story.

"Angela how is she?" I wanted to be up front with her so she wouldn't beat around the bush with me. Angela contemplated me before answering.

"Alice what did you expect really? You kind of abandoned her. And I'm not blaming you for anything that happened after the fact, but it didn't help that you weren't there. You were her best friend." I could hear the bitterness in her voice. My eyes pooled with tears at her words. I'll never forgive myself. "Look as much as I hate to admit it, most of the gossip you're hearing is true. She's not the Bella that you left at all." I sat the remainder of lunch in silence. When the bell rang I joined up with Edward to head to Physics together, when I heard Mike call him out in the hallway.

"Hey Eddy-boy! Don't be trying to get Bella back now. That Jacob Black kid will beat your ass." Edward turned to face him angrily. He hated Jacob Black and didn't want Bella dating someone that dangerous. Of course I didn't want them dating either, but I had my other reasons.

"She's still dating him?" He asked an amused Mike.

"Oh please. Everyone knows they're just fuck buddies now. No relationship there." Jessica scoffed while walking by, unaware of the huge bomb she just dropped on my insides. Edward was shaking next to me and I felt sick. I need to get out of here, I can't take it anymore. I miss my Bella. My innocent Bella. The thought of her with someone else is stabbing my chest in an unbearable way. It was supposed to be me.


	11. Broken Anchor

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 11: Broken Anchor**

 **Alice POV:**

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I couldn't wait to be at school, today it feels like going to my death sentence. Rosalie practically dragged me into the car. Jasper is tried to send waves of calm towards me but I'm not having it. I hardly notice when we arrive at school, and Rosalie has to shove me out of the car this time.

"Alice we're not here for you. We're here for Bella." Emmett was right. I'm being selfish. Just as I was about to thank him for clearing my head, a sleek Audi pulled in. You could tell the driver was blasting music on the inside from the vibrations heard. It pulled sharply into Bella's old spot and the engine cut out abruptly. This is it. I took a deep breath as the driver's door opened up.

"Oh my god." It was all I was able to say at the moment. My mouth was hanging wide open at the scene in front of me.

"Alice! It's her! It's your mate!" Rosalie whispered stunned. She and the rest of the family had on similar faces to mine.

It _was_ her. After all these years of visions and drawing her face time and time again, she was finally here. _Bella_ was my _mate_. I watched as she pulled on her backpack, she glanced briefly up to where we were standing. Damn those sunglasses blocking her eyes! I could tell from her furrowed eyebrows that she was confused about something. Probably because we're all staring at her!

"Shit stop looking!" I whispered hurriedly to the group. A few gawked around like idiots trying to pretend that the ground was the most interesting thing on earth at the moment. However Jasper, Edward, and I couldn't take our eyes off her.

"I can't read her emotions anymore." Jasper said quietly.

"What? How is that possible? You can't feel anything from her?" Emmett was trying his hardest to not look anywhere near Bella and was having a difficult time. I on the other hand, was staring a hole into the back of her head as she walked into the main building.

"Nothing. Like she's purposefully blocking me out. I've never had anyone do that." I could feel the confusion and curiosity radiating off Jasper. Edward hadn't said a word since we saw her. His set in a hard expression.

"Come on. We have to get to class." Rosalie took my hand and led me as I started to lag behind. I was deep in thought and wasn't paying attention to where I was going. How could Bella have changed so much in so little time? I mean I realize the effect of losing all your parental figures has on a teenager, but it was all very extreme on her. Bella was never one for acting out or doing anything out of the ordinary. Besides dating a vampire of course. She was always steady, like an anchor. Her personality was unwavering and true, she was who she was. But now it was like looking at a whole new person. What could have possibly made her change so dramatically overnight?

 **Bella POV:**

I went through a lot of my options yesterday. I could go kill the Cullens, threaten and make them leave, or just ignore them completely. I chose the latter. I needed to be the bigger man and not let them get to me. I'm not weak or fragile anymore, they can't hurt me, physically or emotionally. I won't tell them the truth because frankly they don't deserve it. But if I'm being honest with myself I am a little ashamed. I know I shouldn't be, but here they are, these picture-perfect vegetarian vampires. No control issues and barely any slip ups I'm sure. Well, besides Jasper I guess. If they knew how many people I've killed they'd be disturbed. Especially since I was supposed to know better. You think I didn't try animal blood? Of course I did. But that only made my thirst worse and my inner monster irritated. Stupid perfect Cullens and their stupid perfect vampire life. That wasn't on the list of choices for me.

So I'll do what I'm good at. Avoid any interaction with them and all emotions. Should be easy enough if I'm not provoked. I got ready for school and Jake sent me a quick good luck text. He told me to call him if I had any issues, aka, call me if there's a fight. I relaxed myself with some music on the drive over. I could see every eye on me as I pulled into the student parking lot. All of the Cullen "kids" were parked right across from my spot, they were waiting with baited breath for me to make my exit. Well here goes nothing I guess.

I got out of my car and pulled on my backpack doing my best to keep an expressionless face. That turns out to not be too easy when you have super hearing and can hear across the lot. Mate? Alice thinks I'm her mate? I'm doing my best not to look up right now as to not seem suspicious of overhearing. I can't take it anymore and I have to chance a glance. They're all staring at me with confused and shocked faces. I would kill to have Edwards power right now. Fuck, Edward. I forgot he's here, staring at me with a look I would classify as murderous. Screw you dude. Ok Bella go back to being nonchalant. Walk away and go to class. I could hear them talking about how Jasper couldn't read my emotions and it gave me a little comfort. I can block almost all vampires' powers with a little concentration. It was definitely worth it in this case. I don't need him feeling how confused and curious I am about the news of Alice and the whole mate thing. She never mentioned anything to me about her mate. And now everyone seems to think it's me and I have no idea why? The fuck is going on here?


	12. Tin Man

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 12: Tin Man**

 **Alice POV:**

I jumped at the sound of the lunch bell. Can you imagine that? Me, a vampire who can see the future, jumping at a bell signaling lunch time. I sluggishly made my way to our old table seeing that all my siblings had beaten me. They were all unsure of what to say to me as I put my useless tray of human food down.

"So," Emmett was the brave one to try and start conversing, "has anyone had any classes with her?" I shook my head no as my eyes found Bella sitting across the cafeteria with Angela and Ben. She was eating an apple while talking with Angela about some History project.

"I have." My eyes snapped up to Jasper who had answered the affirmative.

"How was- how was she?" Rosalie asked tentatively.

"Quiet. I greeted her when I sat down and she just nodded at me. I know I can't read her emotions anymore, but I couldn't even distinguish anything from her face or body movements. It was just nothing." Jasper furrowed her eyebrows, obviously upset at his lack of information. "Oh her eyes are gray by the way Alice. Not contacts. I could tell." His words brought an onslaught of emotions onto me. I loved her chocolate brown eyes, but the knowledge of her now gray eyes only confirmed that she was my mate even more so.

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know Emmett. We can ask Carlisle later." Jasper ran a hand through his hair distractedly. I know this must be hard on him as well, he blames himself a lot for why we left.

"Edward you haven't said much." Rosalie was staring daggers into my brother at the moment. "Actually you haven't said anything at all." He shrugged at her. Bad move. Rosalie has been royally pissed at Edward ever since she came back with that paper in her hands. She blamed him for everything that happened to Bella, it was her way of not feeling her own guilt. "Maybe it's because you finally realize how much of a fucking idiot you've been." She started growling at him menacingly and I could sense a fight coming.

"Rose. Not here OK?" Emmet put a hand on her to calm her down and she complied. "Come on let's get some air." He escorted her out of the lunchroom, giving a threatening look to Edward as he left. I decided to steal another glance at my mate. She was relaxed in her chair and laughing at something Angela had just said. It wasn't her old, shy Bella laugh, it was hearty, almost bark like. Maybe she's hanging out with Jacob too much. I growled at the thought of the stupid mutt. All pleasant feelings I had had over the summer about him making her better had completely vanished.

Jessica had gotten up from her table and moved towards Bella's, I looked back down to my food and played with it while I listened intently.

"Hey guys! My parents are out of town this weekend so we're having like a big start of senior year party on Friday if you're in." I heard a few 'sures' from the table and Ben asked Jessica what time it would start. "Oh probably around 9 o'clock or so. There'll be like a bunch of alcohol and shit so make sure you got a DD. Oh," she lowered her tone slightly, "Bella I heard you could get some stuff? You know, like _stuff_?" What? What stuff? No Bella cannot get _stuff_! Bella shouldn't be doing any _stuff_!

"Yeah Jess don't worry about it. I already talked to Mike about it. I got you covered." No. No! Charlie was a fucking cop for Christ's sake! I started to stand up, and was about to make my way over to their table and yell about her insulting her own father's grave with her behavior.

"Alice! How about some of that fresh air?" Jasper didn't wait for my answer before grabbing my arm and dragging me out the doors.

 **Bella POV:**

Lunch was very entertaining to say the least. Mike had already asked me if I could get drugs for the party. Of course I could, I could get anything if I wanted. I really only took something stronger when alcohol wasn't cutting it. But if some idiot high schoolers wanted some, I'd be happy to oblige. I don't know how Mike got the idea to come to me really, I think Jessica started a rumor that I told the doctors I needed weed for grieving or something. I don't care that much. Although I did find it hilarious when Jasper had to drag Alice out of the cafeteria, and Edward started growling at me lowly thinking I couldn't hear it. This was turning out to be a lot of fun for me.

Rosalie was in my next class and I ignored her just like I did Jasper. She kept shooting me apologetic looks from across the room. Obviously someone regrets being bitchy. I actually don't mind the fact that she was cold towards me when I was human, at least she was honest. Edward was in my Calculus, and just continued his staring match with the back of head. Every once in a while I heard him mutter something under his breath about me but it was too soft to hear. Finally I was at my last class of the day, gym. Something I could look forward to now that I'm good at it. I was one of the last in the locker room so I changed quickly and ran out to the track.

Both Alice and Emmett were in this class with me. Emmett caught sight of me and nudged Alice to notify her of my presence. I turned my attention to the teacher trying to ignore Alice's silent pleas for me to look at her. Her desperation was tangible. I kept a good pace when Coach Henderson made us run laps the whole period. Making sure I was a little behind Emmett and ahead of Alice was proving difficult. She kept changing her mind about if she wanted to talk to me while we ran or not. Finally Coach Henderson blew his whistle and we went back to the locker room to change. Luckily I can sweat, and I had a good layer on me so I wasn't provoking any suspicion. I mean I have stamina and can run a lot faster and harder than that, but a warm-up can get me sweating a bit. I finished changing back into my jeans and T-shirt and was tying my shoes back up when I could smell Alice approaching me. Her scent was just heavenly, but that was beside the point. I'm angry with her and ignoring her family at the moment. I took my time with my shoes before looking up to her face to hear what I'm sure would be a very long rant.

But I never got to hear the rant. Because right when I caught her eyes, everything changed.

* * *

 **A/N: I'll give you three guesses why. ;) This chapter was named after Miss Miranda Lambert's song. Next chapter: Bella's reaction and decisions, and some shenanigans at Jess' party of course. I will try to have it up tomorrow night. Gotta go write**


	13. Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 ** _Bold Italics_** **= Wolf Communication**

 **Chapter 13: Love Don't Live Here Anymore**

 **Bella POV:**

Jake had explained to me when I was human what imprinting was and how it was supposed to feel. But nothing could have prepared me for this. Those honey gold eyes were looking deep into my soul. No. I can't deal with this right now. I need air. I need to get out of here. Now.

I pushed past Alice, who was looking at me like a lost puppy, and rushed out to the courtyard. Once I made sure no one was watching, I ran straight for the forest. My wolf wanted out at the moment and I had no control at the moment. I got about two feet into tree cover before I violently phased. Damn those were nice jeans. I kept running until I reached La Push beach, then I howled loudly for Jake. He was on the beach running towards me in a matter of minutes.

 ** _Bella? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Did the Cullens do something? Do I need to call Sam? I'll kill them Bella I swear. If they touched you-_**

 ** _No Jake I'm fine! Well not fine but- oh hold on._** I relaxed my mind and let him in to see what had happened to me. Starting from the moment when I overheard the Cullens across the parking lot up, until I imprinted and ran for the hills.

 _ **Fuck Bella! You imprinted on a fucking Cullen! What are you gonna do?**_

 ** _I don't know. Shit I can't do this. I never wanted to imprint! I can't love someone like that! I don't even like myself. How am I supposed to feel something that dominating? No I can't do this- I can't- I need- oh god I can't breathe!_** I started to hyperventilate in panic mode.

 ** _Easy Bells! Ok just calm down, I'm going to call Sam. Just relax ok? I'll be right back._** I started pacing the beach as I waited for Jake to return with Sam. My wolf was begging me to go to Alice wherever she was. No. I refuse. She abandoned you Bella, left you for dead. And that's what you are now, dead inside. I refuse to feel anything, for her or anyone.

 ** _Bella?_** Sam was here with Jake trailing him. **_I heard you imprinted? Is this true?_** I nodded and let Sam into my head just as I had done with Jake earlier. **_Yeah you imprinted alright. Hmmmm. Well, the tiny vampire already thinks you're her mate so it may not be too difficult for you. We may have to make some changes to the treaty. Jake can you go get the elders-?_**

 ** _No Sam. I'm going to fight it. I do not want to be imprinted. I'm not going to be weak._**

 ** _Bella are you sure? When I first imprinted on Emily I tried to fight it as well. It obviously did not work out that well._**

 ** _Yes I'm sure. I'm stronger than you. I refuse to accept this._** My mind was set and Sam could see it. I was going to fight this with all of my being.

 _ **Alright Bella. Just consider yourself warned, this will be the hardest thing you'll ever do.**_

 ** _Noted. Thank you Sam. Jake? You wanna go for a walk?_**

 ** _What? Oh yeah sure._** Jacob seemed a little frazzled from what had happened over the course of only a few minutes. We walked back down the shoreline towards his house in silence. So much had changed since we were hanging out just yesterday.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by in painfully slow motion. Every second was torture. When I wasn't in Alice's proximity my wolf was whining, and when I was near her in school my wolf wanted to be closer. My internal battle was chipping away at the façade on my face. I could still block out Jasper, but my expressions were starting to be readable. The Cullens were all commenting about how I looked like I was in pain, and I was. The only thing keeping me fighting was the fact that I knew I'd be in much more pain if I gave in. Love hurts. A lot. Trust me I know.

Friday had finally rolled around and I actually had something to look forward to. Jake was coming with me to Jessica's party to try and keep me relaxed. He's been really good lately, I can always count on him to make me laugh and forget a little. Tonight was for having a good time.

We arrived around 10ish and the party was almost in full swing. Jessica was already drunk as hell and Mike was stoned as fuck. Jake and I hit the beer pong couples tournament and kicked some ass for a good hour before the Cullen kids showed up.

"The fuck are they doing here?" Jake was a little drunk at this point and was quick to the gun.

"Easy Jake. Tonight's not about them remember? Come on let's sit and de-stress." I led him to the seating area and handed him a drink while I got myself one. I definitely needed some more alcohol to get through this night now.

"So we're drinking now huh? You used to not do that." Edward had approached me with his stuck up attitude. Seriously, who does he think he is?

"Yep. I actually do a lot of stuff that I never did while we were dating." I said causally, enjoying watching him squirm. Pushing past him I made my way back over to Jake, only to find my path being blocked by a one Miss Alice Cullen. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. You can start by giving me that," she pointed at my solo cup, "while we drive you back home."

"Mmmmmmm," I put my finger to my chin pretending I was deep in thought, "I think not. I think I'm going to enjoy my night without mom and dad showing up." I looked pointedly at her and Edward and then maneuvered around her to sit back down next to Jacob.

"Is this because of _him_?" Edward pointed an angry finger at Jake and began to shake with rage. This was dangerous territory. I put a hand on Jake's leg to keep him from responding.

"No. As hard as it must be for you to believe, I do have a mind of my own. I _can_ think for myself." He scoffed at my remark.

"Hardly! Or you wouldn't be here right now. _My_ Bella would never do something this irresponsible." Ok that pissed me off. I got up and stood centimeters away from his face. I had grown with my transformation so I stood at 5'8 now, a little more intimidating than before.

"Listen you worm, _your_ Bella is no more. I'm not some immature little girl who thinks she's head over heels in love with you anymore. Frankly, I can barely stand being this close to you right now without feeling the urge to vomit. So back the hell off because I will not come running to you. I don't need to be fixed or rescued. I _need_ to not see your fucking face pining after me day after day."

"Oh burn!" I struggled not to laugh at Emmett's comment in the background, I wasn't supposed to hear that. Edward just stood there staring at me like I'd grown two heads.

"Come on Jake, let's get out of here." Jake jumped up and followed me out of the house.

"Ok Bells that was bad-ass. I'm kinda turned on right now to be honest." I laughed at his comment, as it melted my tension away. What would I do without him? "Come on let's get home." He growled lowly in my ear and dragged my hand towards the car. Just as I was leaving, I heard Emmett's voice from inside.

"Ok, is it just or me or is anyone really liking this new Bella?"

 **A/N: Oh come on, you didn't think I'd make it that easy now did you? I always hated how Bella seemed to forgive the Cullens so readily when they came back. They left without any goodbyes! What happened to being best friends? Chapter was named after "Love Don't Live Here" remix by Bastille. Great song if you get a chance to listen. On of the main lines is "You abandoned me, love don't live here anymore." Kinda the same mind space Bella is in right now. Oh and she doesn't like people so. Oh and I love Emmett and his sense of humor. Alright, I gotta get writing. Thank you all for the support! I love you all dearly.**


	14. I Won't Give Up

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 14: I Won't Give Up**

 **Alice POV:**

I watched as Bella left with that stupid horny mutt. I royally screwed up didn't I? Well, at least she didn't like Edward either. That gave me some sort of comfort.

"Shut the fuck up Emmett!" Edward snapped at him.

"Hey take it easy bro. You're the one that was trying to control her. And you're the one that left. I think it's nice that she has a pair now. She's feisty. I like it."

"That she is." I whispered more to myself than anyone really. Definitely the girl of my dreams. I need a different approach. And a huge ass apology.

"Hey what was on her arm?" Rosalie had been quietly observing up until now. She was talking about what looked like a black bandage covering almost Bella's whole left forearm.

"Oh she has a nasty scar there." Jessica had come out nowhere, obviously eavesdropping. "She got it when you were still here I think. Don't you remember? Like a big white scar? Kinda looked like bite or something. I don't know," she hiccuped loudly, "why she hides it really. I only asked how she got it about a million times or so. Oh! Maybe that's why she hides it!" She stumbled away to go flirt with Mike.

"Oh she's puking tonight." Emmett laughed, amused by Jessica's drunkenness. He always said that being able to get drunk was what he missed most about being human.

"Avoiding questions. Or maybe avoiding a painful memory associated with it?" I felt ashamed at Rosalie's remark. Bella had gotten that scar because I wasn't clever or quick enough. It obviously still pained her to look at what James had left on her.

"Come on. Let's go home." I was upset with how the evening went and needed to think things over. Mostly I needed a distraction so I wouldn't picture what that mutt was doing to my Bella right now. Ugh. Stop it Alice!

Esme greeted me with a hug when I walked back into the house. She could tell by my face I was in need of it, she really is the best mother. "Oh mom I don't think she'll ever forgive us! You should have seen the way she looked at Edward. I've never seen eyes so cold."

"Shhhhh it's ok sweetheart." She hushed me as I sobbed on her. "These things take time. Not all wounds are fixed by Band-Aids, some need stitches, or even more."

"Wow mom. I think you've been with dad too long." Emmett teased.

"And not long enough dear." She held me until I was all cried out. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you Esme." I squeezed her in a last hug and went up to my room for some alone time. Bella was a whole new person now, that much is for sure, so I vowed I would to get to know this new Bella.

 **Bella POV:**

"Ok, I vote best sex we've ever had. By far." Jake was giddy as he pulled his pants back on. Yeah, I'll admit that the rumors are true. Jake and I never had progressed to sex when I was human, but I wasn't human anymore alright. I've got two supernatural beings inside of me! They tend to keep my sexual frustration at high levels at all times. Life was easier on the road, hookups were much simpler to deal with. Luckily Jake's got that extra werewolf energy needing to be burned as well, so it was easy to persuade him into a beneficial friendship. And let's face it, the kid needed practice.

"Easy there chief. It was pretty good, I'll give you that. But my frustration had already done half the job."

"I'll take it." He grinned at me. We spent the remainder of the weekend in the same manner of some sort. Keeping my mind and body distracted was the key to shutting down those pesky emotions. Every once in a while I caught a whiff of Alice's scent near my house or yard and wondered if she was spying on me like her brother used to. On Sunday, Jake and I went for a run to burn off some extra energy, and we found a huge area of trees torn from the ground up by their roots. Only a vampire could have done this kind of damage. The clearing was saturated with Alice's scent.

Monday was here again and I got ready for school like I would for a battle. Putting up my emotional and facial guards as I got into my car. Jake sent me his usual 'good luck' text before I left. I was feeling pretty confident today, I had been successfully fighting this imprint for almost a week now. The day was passing by in a breeze. Jessica had apparently thrown up at her own party and was hungover until yesterday afternoon. But the party had been a huge hit and people were already talking about another one. I was ignoring the Cullens as usual and it seemed as though Edward finally stopped drooling after me. It was shaping out to be a good day. Gym was a conceptual day today so we didn't change and we met in an unused classroom to learn about the various muscles of the body. I leaned back in my chair as Coach Henderson droned on. Then he gave us a worksheet to toil over for the remainder of class time. I casually started to work on it when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to face the culprit.

"Hello. I'm Alice Cullen."

"Uh, what?" Why was Alice introducing herself to me? She had this hopeful innocence in her eyes.

"My family just moved back here from Alaska. I don't think we've had the pleasure of properly meeting yet. You're Bella correct?" She stuck out her hand to shake mine.

"Yeah….." I took it carefully. "Alice I know who you are and you know who I am. What are you playing at?"

"I'm not. I knew the old Bella. But I haven't taken the time to meet this one yet. I thought I might today." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Alright I guess." I turned back to my paper. She leaned in close and whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"I'm not giving up this time Bella. I promise you that."

 **A/N: Phew. I did not think I'd finish this chapter so soon. I was stuck for a while. Stay tuned for more. I will be trying to finish next chapter by tomorrow night. :)**


	15. Things We Lost in the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 15: Things We Lost in the Fire**

 **Alice POV:**

I listened as Bella's heart rate rose when I whispered in her ear. Did I make her nervous? She ignored my comment and continued her work. Oh I knew she wouldn't be making this easy for me, but I'm up for a challenge. You think it was easy to get her to go shopping with me all those times? Well it wasn't. I was in this for the long haul. I let her go back to her studies while I went back to mine. The end of the period was closing in and I knew what was coming. Sometimes it really helps being able to see the future. While I still can't see Bella's, I _can_ see the teacher's decision to assign us a project with partners. Bella would have no choice but to spend time with me.

Bella groaned as Coach Henderson assigned us as partners for the project, I win. I tried to keep my face casual and hide my excitement as we talked the details.

"We can meet twice a week after school at my house if that's ok with you? That way we won't have to work on the weekend."

"Sure." Bella shrugged. Stay cool Alice.

"Tuesdays and Thursdays work for you?" I was focusing hard on not bouncing in my seat with glee.

"Yep. See you tomorrow." Bella said getting up just as the bell rang for the end of the day. And what a victorious day it was. I skipped over to the cars and was greeted by Rosalie.

"What has you in such a chipper mood?"

"Oh nothing." I smiled coyly. "Oh, Bella's coming to our house tomorrow after school."

"What did you do?" Rosalie asked with her eyebrows raised. "How on earth did you manage that?"

"A little this and a little that. This would be my charm of course, and that would be a partner project." Rosalie rolled her eyes and Emmett gave me a pat on the back.

"Nicely done little sis. Esme is going to have a field day when you tell her." That she would. This week was looking up, tomorrow would be a good day.

* * *

Most of Tuesday was just as boring as Monday was, but I had something to look forward to. When Gym was finally over I asked if Bella would prefer to follow us, or go home quickly first and meet after. I didn't want to be overbearing on her, I still remember how to care for my human. But she said she was fine and would just follow our cars home. I kept reminding everyone to play it cool on the ride over, but I was the only one who really needed to. I could not afford to screw this up again.

At last we were parked in front of the house and I watched Bella exit her car and grab her bag from the backseat. God she was sexy. Every movement she made had me aroused. Dammit focus Alice! I led her inside to the dining room where we could work. She took out her notes and got set up soundlessly. We worked in silence for a good 15 minutes before I decided to make some light conversation.

"So… when did you get your Audi?" Yeah that was good, simple enough.

"Hm?" She looked up at me confused. "Oh when I got back to Forks." Alright, let's steer clear of that topic Alice, go another route.

"It's a good model. They run pretty fast and smooth."

"Yeah she does."

"You call it a she?" I giggled. Bella was never really into cars like that.

"Well yeah I guess." She scratched her head and went back to the project. If I didn't know any better I would say she was embarrassed. In fact I saw a little bit of a blush creeping up her neck. I went to take a deep breath to inhale her delicious scent that I had missed so much, but it had changed. It wasn't bad or anything, actually it smelled wonderfully delightful, it just didn't appeal to me in a feeding sort of way. That's strange.

"You have good taste in music." I blurted out like an idiot. Nice going Alice.

"What?" She asked confusedly.

"Um, it's just sometimes I can hear your earbuds between classes or when you get out of your car. You have really good taste in music. I like it." God this is getting creepier by the second. Now she knows you're spying on her while she's not looking.

"Uh thanks I guess."

"What's your favorite song?"

"Ok Alice I thought we were working on a project here? Not playing twenty questions."

"Right. You're right I'm sorry." I shut up and we worked the rest of the time without any side conversation. After about an hour we called it a day and she went to head home. Esme couldn't stand not seeing Bella anymore and made her way out of the living room, where she was quietly listening.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything before you leave dear?" She was such a mother.

"No thank you Mrs. Cullen. I'll see you tomorrow Alice." Bella said politely and nodded in my direction before leaving. I could feel Esme's hurt when Bella called her 'Mrs. Cullen'. She didn't think of her as a mother anymore. I guess that made sense, she left her too.

* * *

Thursday moved similarly to Tuesday. I could tell Bella was tense around me, but it was getting better. I hoped by the end of the five week project she would be comfortable enough for me to try and befriend her again. I decided to be bold on Saturday morning and go over to her house to ask her if she wanted to go shopping with me. I knew the answer would most likely be a no, but I wanted her to know I was trying. It was about 10 in the morning when I knocked on her door. The door opened up to reveal the last person I wanted to see, Jacob fucking Black.

"What are you doing here?" I growled at him. He ruined my perfectly good day. Jacob crossed his arms and leaned casually against the doorway.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He smiled at me with swagger. Ignore him Alice, this is just what he wants.

"Is Bella here?" I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible. His stupid wolf stench was making me sick. The only thing making me feel worse was the fact that he reeked of sex.

"She just left. She'll be back by Tuesday."

"By Tuesday? Where did she go?" Bella was never one to take weekend trips. Where could she possibly go?

"Aren't we full of questions this morning?" Now he was just taunting me.

"Ugh fine I'll leave. Just tell her I called ok?"

"Sure thing short stuff." That Jacob sure knows how to push my buttons. I balled my hands into fists and ground my teeth till I made it back home. I was in too foul a mood to go shopping anymore. I could always rip another clearing of trees down like I did last weekend when I found out for myself that Bella was having sex with that stupid fucking mutt. Praying for a day that I get to kill him. Taking _my_ Bella's innocence. She was _mine_. It was stirring something very primal in me, but I didn't want Bella to think of me as some monster.

I stayed in my room pretty much until Monday, only leaving to hunt. Monday was shitty without the hope of seeing Bella to brighten my day. Having a mate who doesn't like you back really sucks. On Tuesday morning Bella showed up and she look absolutely exhausted, dead on her feet.

"I can feel her!" Jasper jumped in surprise. He was finally getting used to not being able to read or manipulate Bella's emotions. "God she's fucking drained." Jasper never cursed. I saw him slump against the car with the weight of her tiredness flowing through him.

"Well stop focusing on her idiot." Rosalie scoffed at him.

"I can't." He said strained. "Her emotions are too powerful. I don't think I can be here." That's strange. No one's ever affected Jasper like that before. The rest of us shrugged and went to class as Jasper drove home. The day was uneventful for the most part. Bella was still rundown looking all through gym. She was still top of the class though, I swear that girl needs to stop hanging with Jacob and his beefy wolf friends. Although she is really fucking sexy when she's beating everyone in push-ups and sit-ups. Emmett has had to hit me a few times to stop me from drooling. The things that girl does do me.

She looked so tired that I asked her if we were still on for the day to meet after school. She replied with a yes, like I was a moron for being concerned about her. I'll always be concerned about her though. We barley talked while we worked, and I couldn't take much more of it.

"Where did you go this weekend?" Oh great Alice. You're starting off with an intrusive question? God you are an idiot.

"Out of town."

"Ok." Different subject Alice. Different subject. "So are you and Jacob Black dating or something?" I really hate myself sometimes.

"Um," she blushed slightly looking up at me, "do you really wanna talk about this? I mean, I kind of dated your brother…"

"Right. Sorry." That's right. I'll always be her ex-boyfriend's sister. I felt my anger rise at this realization and blurted "I just never saw you as the type who would have sex without being in love with someone." Oh shit.

"Excuse me?" I heard her heartbeat raise at my outburst.

"No I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"No I think you did. I think you meant exactly what you said." She got up and put her things back into her bag and went to leave.

"No! Wait Bella I'm sorry! I really didn't mean it! It's just my stupid vampire hatred against him. I really didn't mean to take it out on you." I was begging at this point. "I'm trying to get to know you I really am! It's just hard when you're making decisions that you would have never made before." Oh no. I'm out of control.

"Well then just stop trying Alice!" She turned to face me as I caught up with her in front of the door. Her face was red with rage and she was shaking. "It didn't seem that hard for you to stop trying before! And I don't give a shit what you think of my decisions anymore, you don't make them for me. I can do whatever the fuck I want without your stupid fucking judgement. So please stop acting like you care, cause I know you don't! If you really cared, you would have never left." She turned on her heel and stormed out.

So much for not screwing it up this time Alice.

 **A/N: Oh Alice. We need to work on that self control now don't we? Chapter was named after Bastille's song. Next chapter: what will Alice do to fix this? Can she? They still haven't even discussed Alice's departure yet. Hmmmmmm**


	16. I Need You

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 16:** **I Need You**

 **Bella POV:**

Who the fuck did she think she was? I was beyond pissed Alice and her bitchy attitude. Blinded by rage, I slammed the door shut after me as I entered my house, nearly breaking it.

"Stupid fucking vampire! I don't need your fucking judgment and goody two shoes arrogance. Why I could just-!"

"What could you just do?" I jumped at the interruption to my rant. Liam had let himself into my house and was lounging on the couch with an amused expression on his face.

"How did you get in here?"

"Oh Jake let me in. And you were too preoccupied to notice. Now, what's this about your imprint upsetting you?"

"Do NOT call her that! She is _not_ my imprint. How can I like anyone who makes me this crazy?" I was still really pissed and was shouting at my best friend now.

"Ah. Now maybe that's why she makes you so crazy hm? Maybe someone is feeling stronger emotions?"

"Oh shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about!" His smug attitude was not helping my temper.

"Actually I think I do Bells." He dropped his good-humored display. "I think I have the right to say I know you more than anyone else. Sometimes even you. So I know what I'm seeing here. You have feelings for her, and she has feelings for you. It's called passion Bella." He scrutinized me with his eyes.

"Yeah whatever. So what are you doing here anyways?" I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of me pondering over what he said. I was too angry right now. I'd sleep on it later.

"Do I really need a reason to visit my big sister? I just missed ya Bells." He wrapped me in a warm hug. I was still slightly ticked off but I couldn't stay mad at him. "So, how did your mission go this weekend?"

"It was alright. I didn't get any sleep at all. But it was a success. Apparently Colt's trying to gain control of the area the Volturi used as home base over the summer. If we can get it, it may give us lots of good Intel." We chatted for the rest of the evening over a bottle of decent scotch. I was feeling a lot better than I had before. Liam must had known I needed this, just old friends relaxing. For the first time since I arrived back in Forks, I slept throughout the night without being woken up by a nightmare.

* * *

Liam left the next morning back for Virginia. Forks was on his way back from where he had an assignment this weekend, so he only passed through. I thanked him for the support and calming me down as I hugged him goodbye. He told me I had a lot to think about. I felt much lighter going to school this morning than I had in a while. The Cullens were on edge with me all day, I'm sure no doubt, that they heard about the fight Alice and I had. Alice was very subdued in Gym, so I was surprised when she approached me after class when I had finished getting dressed.

"Bella? I will completely understand if you say no, but would you mind if we went somewhere and talked today? We could go to your house if that's more comfortable for you. I just want to apologize for- well for a lot of things." She appeared to be on the verge of tears and I didn't have the heart to say no to her. When did I get so soft?

"Sure Alice. My place is fine. You can follow me home." I shrugged and swung my backpack over my shoulder as she followed me out of the locker room. She must have talked to Rosalie beforehand, because she seemed to understand right away when Alice asked for the car. I drove at a normal speed back home and parked in the driveway once I arrived. I watched as Alice pulled in behind me and exited her vehicle. She looks absolutely miserable. I led her inside to the living room and motioned for her to sit down across from me on the couch. She sat quietly and picked at her jeans for a while. She seemed to be having a hard time finding what to say. That's unusual for Alice.

"Alice?" I tried to convey my calmness in my voice so she would relax a little. She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears that would never fall. And before I knew it, she was sobbing.

"Bella I'm just so fucking sorry!" Alice was falling apart in front of me. "God I'm so so so sorry. For everything. I can't even imagine what it was like for you. I was such an idiot for listening to Edward and leaving. You were my best friend! I thought I would be helping you but really I was just being stubborn. And then I've been such a bitch to you since I came back. You're completely right. I have absolutely no right to say anything about your life. Bella I just can't lose you. It _killed_ me to be away from you for that long. I know I'm being selfish but I can't have you mad at me. God I just miss you so much. I can't- I'm so-" She started hyperventilating and sobbed even harder. Before I knew what I was doing I had her wrapped in my arms. I couldn't stand seeing her like this. I'm really starting to hate this feelings thing.

"Ssshhhhh. Alice shhhhhhhh. Hey I'm right here ok?" I rubbed circles on her back as she shook against my body. She cried for a while. Finally, her shaking subsided slightly and she looked up at me with her head resting against my chest.

"Bella I swear, if you let me, I will spend the rest of eternity trying to make up for all I've done. I'll do anything for you." I took a deep breath and nodded against the top of her head.

"Ok." I whispered into her hair. She thanked me over and over again, and then continued her crying. I stroked her hair until her sobbing was only short bursts. "Alice?" I whispered tentatively.

"Yes?" Once again she looked up into my eyes.

"Why-why did you leave? I mean, without-without saying goodbye or anything?" It was embarrassing to ask, but I had been wondering this since the day they had gone. It never seemed like a thing Alice would do, but she did.

"It's kind of a long story. And I'm not sure now is the time." She bit her lip tentatively. She was avoiding, not saving for later.

"Alice? You said anything. I need to know." She moved away from me and looked down at her lap.

"Well, you see, I left so quickly because I was afraid of you." I scrunched my eyebrows together. Afraid of me? "Ever-ever since you ran away from me that day with James, I have kind of been feeling things that I shouldn't. You were supposedly my brother's mate and not mine." She continued talking to her lap. Was she finally admitting to me I was her mate? Did her feelings really go back that far? "I tried to fight them, but there was something pulling me to you. So when Edward decided that the family should leave, I looked into your future and saw you becoming close to Jacob Black. You were happy without me, sort of. And Jacob could give you a normal life. I cared for you too much to take you away from that. I didn't say goodbye because, well I couldn't." She started to cry again lightly. "Bella I've been in love with you for months now, really years I guess from my first visions of you, but I know you've moved on, I know I don't deserve you. I just-" Before I knew it, her lips were on mine.

I was stuck. On one hand, this was all I've ever wanted for the past week or so. But on the other hand, she should not be kissing me. My first instinct took over as I passionately kissed her back. I put one hand on her chin and another buried in her hair. She was grabbing my neck and my skin felt like fire. This is wrong Bella. Yeah it is. I need to taste more of her. No! I pushed her off of me, gasping for breath. Her scent had intoxicated me completely.

"No." I was talking to myself really. "No this isn't right." She doesn't even know who you are. If she did she would never have kissed you. She would have run out that door. "No." I repeated firmly, clearing my head of her scent.

"You're right. I'm so sorry. I'll leave. I'm sorry Bella I didn't mean to do that. That was wrong of me." She leapt off the couch and run out of the house, all while muttering sorry about a dozen times. I was still in shock of what had just happened.

Oh you idiot! You had her and you made her stop! You made her leave! You fucking idiot! No. No that wasn't right. You don't deserve her. She's innocent and you're a monster. She needs someone who will actually care for her. Someone who can give her a better life than you ever can. My anger at myself and sexual frustration were at an all-time high. I punched a wall.

" _Fuck_ that hurt!" I pulled my fist from the hole. "Great job you moron." I went to the kitchen and got some ice for my throbbing hand, and then laid down in my bed. Pulling off the black bandage over my forearm, I studied the inky black numbers. It really was what the Volturi wanted. That stupid number was my identity now. I rolled over and fell asleep clutching my aching fist. Alice Cullen is in love with me, and I'm in love with Alice Cullen. But she'll never know me, I won't let her.

 **A/N: Another heavy chapter. Sorry ya'll. They have a lot of shit to deal with you know.** **Don't worry though, Bella is already breaking. She can't last much longer can she? We shall see**


	17. All Falls Down

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 17:** **All Falls Down**

 **Alice POV:**

I started to sob again while I drove home. God I've cried a lot today. Well good job Alice, once again you've screwed yourself. If there was an award for how many times one could fuck themselves over, you'd win it. I had parked in our driveway a while ago, but continued to sob in the car. Rosalie pulled my door open and leaned down to talk to me gently.

"What happened? Did she not forgive you?"

"No she did. But then she asked why I left without saying goodbye and I told her. And then I fucking kissed her. God Rose you should have seen her face. She looked disgusted when she pushed me off of her." I threw my arms around Rosalie and wept into her shoulder. She didn't say anything, just let me be. Eventually she picked me up and carried me to my room, setting me down on the bed. Smoothing out my hair as I calmed down.

"Oh Alice. What are we going to do with you?"

* * *

I did not want to go to school today. Seeing Bella may just turn me into a weepy mess again. I begged Esme not to make me go. She insisted it would make it worse if I didn't show however. So here I am. Of course this didn't mean anything, because Bella didn't come to school today. Congrats Alice. You've horrified her so much she can't even look at you. You know…, she did kiss you back. Yeah that was just instinct. She didn't think about it being me. It was one hell of a kiss though. Yeah, up until she shoved you away.

Bella came to school on Friday and I tried my best to ignore her. Oh how the tides have turned. She was really reserved all day according to my siblings. She walked up to me at lunch, I wanted to run but Rosalie stamped my foot. Rose knows me way too well.

"Alice? Can we talk outside for a minute?" Bella was very well-mannered about it. Could I really even say no? I nodded and followed her out to the courtyard. My siblings whispered good lucks underneath their breath. Here we go. "Alice I wanted to apologize for the way I reacted yesterday. I did not mean to sound so rude. You were being open with me and I appreciate that." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This new Bella would be chewing my ear off right now. But she was actually apologizing? For her reaction to _me_ pouncing on her? "I just don't think I can return your feelings. I would like to have you as a friend again however, if you can forgive me for my outburst?" I stood there with my mouth hanging open.

"Forgive you? Bella you should not be apologizing to me. It was completely my fault. Your reaction was normal and expected. But yes I would love to be your friend again!" It felt like a dream having her back in my life again, but she was acting so weird, strained almost. I would ask her what was wrong but I didn't want to push my newly reformed friendship. "Would you like to hang out his weekend? Maybe shopping or something?" I didn't care what we did, as long as I could spend time with her.

"Actually I'm out of town this weekend. Maybe some time next week though."

"Oh ok." She was always out of town. Where is she going? But she didn't say no to me. That was big. All I need to do is be a good friend again.

"Alright. I'll see you later Alice." She bid goodbye and headed back inside the cafeteria. Why was she so tense and polite? As she walked away I noticed that her right hand was bruised badly, like she had gotten into a fight with something quite solid. Bella is not normally a violent person. It was all very strange and I didn't really like it. But I pushed that out of my mind, today was a good day.

* * *

Bella has been my friend again for a week now and things are looking up. I can tell that she's still very uncomfortable around my family in the house when we work together, but she relaxes slightly when it's just me. Not as relaxed as she used to be around me, but better than where things were before. I've learned more about this new Bella and I like her a lot. She's witty and charismatic, and I know she's suppressing most of it. Emmett got her to play video games with him one day and it was a nice moment for him. He had missed her so much. Rose even got to talk to her about cars after school on Tuesday. The family is slowly trying to earn her trust back, and we're getting somewhere. It'll be a long road, but we can see progress.

She's going out of town this weekend _again_. Wherever she's going she doesn't seem to get any sleep, because she comes back looking like death. If I play my cards right, I may be able to ask where she's going next time. But I will have to wait till I'm ready.

There was a big portion of our project due on Monday so Bella told me she'd stop by my house when she got home on Sunday to help finish it up. Today is Sunday, I get to see my best friend today. At about 5 o'clock in the evening I heard her car pull up the drive, it was one of my favorite sounds. I ran out the front door to greet my exhausted mate.

"Bella! We missed you." I pulled her into an awkward hug. I forgot she doesn't like touching. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She sighed heavily. "Well come on, let's finish this part for tomorrow."

"Righto." We walked into the house towards the dining room. She quietly greeted everyone while following me. We really didn't have much to do so the work was almost done in twenty minutes. Esme saw how tired Bella looked so she brought her a cup of coffee, Bella thanked her. Once we were finished Bella got up to clean the mug in the kitchen.

"Bella I can do that honey." Esme was probably trying the hardest, besides me, to win back her trust.

"No really it's fine. It's the least I can do." She started the water in the sink, but was still pretty out of it, so the mug slipped from her hand.

"I got it!" I yelled while her left arm lunged for it. I caught the mug with one hand and grabbed her left forearm with the other, to prevent her from hurting herself. Humans are easily breakable and I was always afraid she'd hurt herself. So I cared, sue me. But I must have grabbed her arm too hard because she yelped in pain. I immediately let go of her apologizing and she held her arm close to her body gingerly. That's weird, I swear I didn't grasp it hard at all.

"Bella I am so sorry I didn't want you to hurt yourself. I really didn't mean to hurt you. Is your arm ok? Let me see it, maybe Carlisle can take a look at it." She jumped back at my words.

"No! No it's fine. I'm fine." She started mumbling her words and I could see that she was very clearly still in pain. "You know Alice I really need to get going actually." She made a move towards the door, but I blocked her.

"Stop." Something inside my head clicked when I looked at her clutching her arm. She never took off that bandage covering her forearm. James' bite was not that big. "Stop." I repeated, thinking about my possible revelation. I mean it would make sense I guess. We left Bella, then her parents died, and now she's in a loveless relationship. She drinks and does drugs. Oh my god. She's cutting herself. "Bella take off that bandage. Now." Her eyes went wide in fear.

"What? Alice no. I told you I'm fine. I really need to get home." She was backing away from me, so I advanced on her. I probably looked really menacing right now. Someone was hurting my mate, and it was my mate herself.

"Bella, I'm not asking you. We both know that I'm stronger than you. So please, take off the bandage." Her eyes kept darting around the room, looking for an escape route it seemed. I had forgotten Esme was still in the kitchen, observing the confrontation. "Bella! Now! Let me see your arm!" I was losing it. Carlisle came running, trying to defuse the situation.

"Alice? Bella? What's wrong? Alice why are you blocking her from leaving?"

"She's fucking cutting herself Carlisle! That's why she's covering her arm all the time! She's obviously in pain when I touch her arm!" I was getting pretty hysterical at this point.

"You think I'm cutting myself?" Bella was genuinely surprised. "Carlisle I swear I'm not." Carlisle looked at the scene in front of him, scrutinizing every detail.

"Bella I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask to see your arm." He spoke quietly, hoping that his calmness would coax her too cooperate. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't." Bella looked absolutely horrified now.

"No. Carlisle I can't. Please, please don't make me." Her voice was wavering with panic. I'd never seen her look so scared, not even in the face of three red-eyed vampires. My instincts finally got the better of me and I tackled her to the ground in a split second. I would hold her prisoner if it meant she would never hurt herself again.

"Alice!" Esme and Carlisle yelled in unison. But I was too far gone. Bella was actually struggling against me hard. When did she get so damn strong? It was no matter though, the protection frenzy I was in was far stronger than anything at the moment. I grabbed her arm and ripped of the binding in one fluid motion.

I had stopped moving. Bella stopped moving as well, she was staring up at my face in terror and agony. I couldn't think or move.

"Alice? Alice you need to get off of Bella so I can treat her wounds." Carlisle couldn't see what I was seeing. Every part of me felt like screaming in pain. Bella had regained her ability to move, and pushed my lifeless body off of her.

"I- I'm sorry." She whispered, and then left quietly. Esme and Carlisle were too transfixed on my state of being to stop her. There were so many things I wish I could do besides sit here like a statue. I wanted to call out to her, clutch her body to my chest and never let it go, and cry until I physically could not anymore. But it was stuck. My whole world had come to an abrupt stop.


	18. Silence

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

 **Chapter 18:** **Silence**

 **Bella POV:**

Fuck! I was completely fucked! I knew I shouldn't have gotten close to Alice again. I fucking knew it. I was too weak. And now look what happened. Oh god they're going to try and kill me. What if they tell the Volturi?! I pulled to the side of the road in a panic and called Liam. He told me to calm down and he'd be there in a few hours. How was I supposed to calm down? Carlisle worked for the Volturi for Christ's sake! Studying medicine! What if he wanted to experiment on me as well?

At this point I was having a full blown panic attack in my car. I didn't even notice Jake pull up behind me and knock on my window. He opened the driver's side door and gently moved me to the passenger's seat while he took the wheel. He was sopping wet, it was pouring outside.

"We're home Bells." I hadn't even noticed that he moved me from the car. Jake had placed me in my bed, I looked around dazed and confused. He went downstairs for a little while and came back with a mug of steaming tea. "Here drink this. I put a shot of bourbon in there too. You look like you need it." I wanted to thank him but couldn't. The tea did help quite a bit, and eventually I became more aware of what had happened.

"How did you-?"

"Liam called." He sighed and plopped down on the bed next to me. "Get some rest Bells. I'll make sure everything's ok. Liam said he'd text me once he was here." He could tell I was hesitant. "Really Bella. I have the whole pack ready to move if need be. But I don't think it will be a problem. You need to sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens." The tea was kicking in hard and I hadn't slept in days. So despite my best efforts, I ended up fading into sleep.

 **Alice POV:**

"What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't moved or said anything since."

"Can vampires go catatonic?"

"Not that I've heard of. Maybe in shock for a while."

"Did you see what was on her arm that got her like this?"

"No. She was in the way. And then Bella left too fast." The sound of my mate's name seemed to ring some sort of bell in me.

"Is Edward back yet?"

"Yeah almost."

"I'm here. Where is she?" Someone leaned down next to me. "Alice?" I heard my brother inhale sharply as he prodded my mind. "No. No. It can't be." He collapsed next to me and started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ok what the fuck is going on here?" That was Emmett. I was starting to recognize voices now, but had no will to look at their owners. Or answer them.

"Jasper what can you feel from them?" Carlisle sounded very concerned. Two of his children were now unresponsive.

"Suffering." Jasper sounded strained as he answered. "Immense pain and guilt. I can hardly bear it Carlisle." Well that makes two of us. My mate had been tortured and turned against her will because of me. There was a piercing wail that rang through the kitchen. It took me a while to realize that the sound came from me.

"Carlisle! Do something!" Rosalie had thrown herself on top of me, trying to fix me. It was no use, the only thing that would make me feel better would be death. Death, or killing the entire lot of the Volturi. My body shook with a rumbling growl.

"Now it's anger. Rage I've never felt before. Carlisle I need to hunt."

"It's alright son, you can go. Thank you for trying." I heard Jasper leave.

"You said Bella told you sorry and left? Why was she sorry?" There was my mate's name again. Bella. I needed Bella. Everyone gasped as I abruptly stood. How long had I been down there for? My body felt stiff.

"Bella. I need to see Bella." My voice was monotonous and my eyes were focused in front of me.

"Like hell you are! You're not going anywhere until you tell us what's wrong! You've been unresponsive for hours, crippled Edward with whatever was on your mind, and drove Jasper out of the house!" Hours? It felt like only a few seconds. I blinked several times. Bella was my priority, but my family was in the way of the path to her. I was debating whether to fight them or not, when the doorbell rang. "Oh now what?" Emmett moved from the kitchen to get the door. "Sorry may I help you?"

"Hello. My name is Liam Jackson. May I come inside please?" Whoever was on the other side of the doorway had a very smooth voice.

"Um no? Sorry I think you have the wrong address man." Emmett usually would have been more polite, but it had been a long few hours. I heard him go to close the door, but instead there was a loud bang, and the door swung wide open. "What the fuck!?"

"I am truly sorry to intrude but this is a matter of extreme importance. I need to speak with your family immediately."

"Emmett let him in." Carlisle called before Emmett did anything rash. I heard footsteps coming closer towards the kitchen and looked up at the intruder. He looked remarkably like Bella. His hair was about the same length, slightly shorter, and their eyes were matching exactly. As I looked down his body, I saw the same black binding that Bella wore on her left forearm. This was the other.

"Good evening Cullens." He had the same tense politeness in his voice that Bella had. "I believe we need to have a little chat."


	19. Comfort of Strangers

**Chapter 19:** **Comfort of Strangers**

 **Bella POV:**

 _"Bells I love you. Don't you forget that."_

 _"No dad I can't do it! I won't do it!"_

 _"Yes you can Bella. You have to. You're stronger than you know. Just promise me you won't give up ok? Promise me Bells."_

 _"I promise."_

I woke up with a start. My body was shaking and covered in sweat. I put my head between my knees, trying to regain composure.

"Bella? Are you alright?" Jake came running up the stairs. "I only left for a few minutes to get you breakfast. Are you ok?"

"Yeah." I took another deep breath. "Yeah Jake I'm fine. Thank you." He smiled gently at me. Last night was rough and he was really good about it.

"I'll be right back up with breakfast. Stay right there." He returned with two plates full of eggs and bacon on a tray with coffee and toast.

"Wow Jacob. When did you learn to cook?" It all looked amazing, and last time I checked Jake could barely make toast.

"I called Emily." He shrugged, unembarrassed. "Liam called by the way. He would like you to come over to the Cullens' place when you can." I swallowed my current bite unevenly, my mouth went dry.

"Did he say anything else?"

"Nope. Look Bella, as much as I hate the Cullens, I really don't think they would ever hurt you. I'm sure they blame themselves just like I blame myself. And _don't_ start in again on saying it's not my fault. We've been over this plenty of times and we know where it goes. I think the Cullens just want to apologize for what they've done. Give them a chance ok?"

"Jake what the hell is in this coffee that's making you all mushy?" He laughed heartily.

"Blame Emily. She puts _love_ into everything she makes." I smiled at the comment. Emily really was a saint. I took my time finishing breakfast and then jumped in for a long shower. I didn't think I was ready to face the Cullens yet, but Liam seemed to think otherwise. It was time to man up again. I pulled on my jeans and favorite button down flannel. I was unsure whether to put on another black binding to cover my tattoo or to leave it be. Instead I compromised by keeping my sleeves rolled down.

"Alright Jake, I'm heading out. I'll see you later."

"Good luck Bells!" He called to me as the door shut. I drove at exactly the speed limit, I was in no rush to get there. But all too soon my car was pulling into the drive of the massive house. Just before I exited the vehicle, I made sure my pistol was securely tucked into the back of my jeans. Just in case.

"Perfect timing Bells. Alice and I were just going for a short walk. Here come in." Liam is comfortable in any place. He greeted me at the door and let me inside. Suddenly someone had thrown their body on top of mine and I shoved them off instinctually pulling my gun.

"Sorry! I'm sorry I know you don't like to be touched especially unwarned like that, but I saw you and I couldn't stop myself." Esme looked terrified at what she had done, and kept her hands up to show me she meant no harm. I hastily replaced my weapon and muttered an apology. My heart had skyrocketed at the unexpected embrace, and was taking its time going back to normal.

"Easy there trigger. Why don't you sit down and relax a bit? I've filled everyone in on pretty much everything, but I'm sure they'd like to ask you a few questions themselves." Liam led me to an armchair in the living room where the rest of the Cullens were seated. All were wide eyed and staring at me. I felt very uncomfortable, like a cornered animal. "Alice? Shall we?" The smallest Cullen only nodded and followed. She appeared as though she'd seen a ghost, and she did not look at me as she left with Liam out the front door. That son of a bitch left me alone! This is just fantastic.

"Well I guess I would first like to thank you for coming today, I know that must not have been easy. Also, we wanted to give you our deepest apology for what happened. Words cannot describe how sorry I am. I cannot even imagine what you've been through." Carlisle looked dreadful. I know vampires don't sleep and all, but he looked like he needed to now. Esme kept making a choked sobbing sound at Carlisle's words.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not like it's your fault." They acted as though they had given the Volturi my name.

"We left you. Unprotected. It _is_ our fault." I'd never seen Emmett so somber. It was unnatural looking and I didn't like it.

"Look no offense to you all, but do you really think you could win a fight against the Volturi? There would have been nothing you could do. They smelt a scent and liked it. If anything, your presence would have made it more of a game for them, possibly making it worse." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. It was true. I wasn't saying all this to make them feel better. The Volturi were ruthless and unbeatable.

"Bella-"

"No Carlisle that's enough. I didn't come here to argue about my state of being. If that's the only reason I'm here then I might as well leave." I began to stand from my spot when Esme stopped me.

"No wait! I'm sorry Bella. We won't discuss that matter anymore. Please stay?" I hesitated. It was all still very awkward.

"Is it true that you can sleep?" Leave it to Emmett to break the tension.

"Uh yeah. Yeah I can sleep." His question threw me off a bit but I recovered.

"And your heart beats and everything. I can hear it now. That's amazing!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie smacked his arm like he had insulted me.

"No it's alright. I have a heart and blood and all. I just can't die _entirely_."

"Liam said," Carlisle started, "that you have werewolf _and_ shifter blood mixed in you as well as vampire? Does that make you susceptible to change on the full moon?"

"Um no. I guess we're a little more irritable on a full moon, but no, we aren't forced to phase or anything."

"But you're strong right?" Emmett beamed as he asked his question.

"Well yeah. Probably a little stronger than a full vampire, but not immensely so." I was concerned where his question was leading to.

"So do you think you could beat me arm wrestling?" Ah. That's where it was leading. I decided to toy with him a little.

"Why do you ask?"

"Why else? I want to see what you can do!" Rosalie smacked him again and I chuckled and told him maybe later.

"Can- can you have children?" Rosalie asked timidly.

"No. No I'm afraid not."

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. I shrugged. I hadn't been at an age where I was thinking about children yet before I was turned, so it hadn't really affected me yet. Jasper appeared to be on the verge of asking me a question when the door opened to reveal my best friend and my former best friend.

"Oh good. You haven't shot anyone. I was worried there." God Liam was cheeky. But he was a good comic relief sometimes, everyone let out a shaky laugh except Alice. She was fidgeting around like she was trying to say something.

"Bella?" Alice finally gained her voice. "Would you mind taking a walk with me?" I looked at Liam with utter contempt and curiosity. What did he tell her? He just shrugged and grinned at me.

"Yeah sure." She smiled shyly and led me out the door, my stomach was in knots. I think I'd rather face the Volturi right now.

* * *

 **A/N: As Spring Break is winding down, I want to let you all know that my updates won't be as often as they are now. Not dramatically so! Just expect more updates on the weekend and less during the week. You know, because I have that much of a life. Haha. Anyways, I still thank you all for the support! I am thinking of you all and writing away! :)**


	20. The Truth Will Out

**Chapter 20:** **The Truth Will Out**

 **Alice POV:**

It was a beautiful day, the sun would be shining at the tops of the mountains. Bella and I walked soundlessly for about fifteen minutes before I decided to break the silence. Problem was, I didn't know where to start. Liam had told me privately that Bella had imprinted on me, and overheard me saying she was my mate. But he had warned me that she hate a hatred for feelings and disliked relationships. However, right now I had other things on my mind first.

"Bella I am _so_ sorry for leaving you. It's something I will now regret for the rest of my life. I cannot even begin to comprehend your suffering. I am eternally in your service." She sighed and looked at me curiously.

"Alice, do you work for the Volturi?" I knew where she was going with this and would not have it.

"Bella don't-"

"Alice I asked you a question. Do you work for the Volturi?"

"No. But-"

"Then no. There's no 'but's about it. Unless you are secretly working for the Volturi, in no way was anything your fault. The rest of your family already tried to argue this point with me. The truth of the matter is, if you had not left, the Volturi would have killed you all just to get to me. Once they want you, they get you." She was very well spoken. I stopped walking to admire her beauty, she had never looked so exquisite. She paused for me, then sighed and continued walking, motioning me to follow. "And if they had killed you," she paused once again, obviously pained by her words, "then I don't know what I would have done."

Bella led our, once again silent walk, for a while. How funny it was that I had started leading it and now she was leading me, just like how our relationship was. When I first met her I was the one pulling her everywhere. She wasn't confident and hardly made decisions. Now she was brave and in charge of her own life. She had grown up so fast in such a short span of time, but she had to do so. I wished that her change had not come at the cost of many other things however. I had failed to protect her from the cruel and dark world. I had failed my mate.

"Why?" I had broken the silence once again.

"Sorry?" It had been some time since Bella had last spoken, so she was confused by my sudden question.

"Why would you not know what to do? If I had been killed." Of course I knew the answer, I was just hoping she would admit some of the truth to me. I don't think she realized she had said that last bit out loud however, because her eyes went wide and her face turned red. We had stopped walking and were facing each other. Now was my chance. I took a step closer so we were only inches apart.

"Um. I was just speaking in general." She was flailing. I noticed her eyes flicker to my lips and back up again.

"Ok then. Generally speaking, why would you have not known what to do if I had been killed?" I moved closer once again. Bella licked her own lips now. My plan was working. I looked up at her with my most innocent eyes, waiting for an answer. Without warning, her lips crashed onto mine.

 **Bella POV:**

Damn Alice and her stupid charm. My imprint will be the death of me I'm sure of it. I'm almost a hundred percent sure that Liam told her I had imprinted, but I hardly cared at the moment.

This should have been our first kiss. Her hands tugged at my hair and the back of my neck again. I had put one hand on her waist and backed her against a nearby tree. She tastes _fucking_ amazing. I need more. My tongue darted out to part her lips open, and she happily accepted it. The kiss was fervent, but not desperate. Tender, but not soft.

How long had we been kissing here? A minute? A week? I couldn't tell anymore. Finally, I pulled away from her gently, resting my forehead against hers. We were both panting heavily, and Alice's eyes were almost pitch black.

"That's why." I breathed across her lips.

 **A/N: That was a long website outage today. Dang. Anyways, I hope everyone had a good Saint Patrick's day for all those who celebrate it. I wasn't originally planning for Bella to give Edward a good beating, but if people want it I can do it. Just let me know. Alright, I'm going to get some much needed sleep. Thank you for reading :)**


	21. A Family Matter

**Chapter 21:** **A Family Matter**

 **Alice POV:**

I smiled happily at Bella's whispered words. This was probably the best day of my life.

"So…." Bella backed up further, with a lopsided grin on her face. "Liam told you then."

"Told me what?" I beamed right back at her. Just because I knew about the imprint didn't mean I knew about everything. And I still wanted to hear her say it. I'm needy like that. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Told you about the imprint."

"Imprint? What's this you say about an imprint?" I pretended to be shocked. She was not to be fooled. Bella laughed and walked in the direction that we came from. "Alright. I admit that he told me. But I did like hearing it from you much more." I caught up with her and reached for her hand to hold in mine. She flinched away from my contact. Right, relationship issues.

"Sorry." She was embarrassed about her reaction.

"No don't be sorry. How about this; you are in complete control of whatever this is," I gestured in between us, "I will go along with whatever you decide or do. You set the pace and boundaries. Does that sound good?"

"Are you sure you're ok with that?" She was rubbing her neck in the way I knew meant she was uncomfortable. But her discomfort was coming from concern for me.

"Of course." I nodded to reassure her. She studied me for a while to make sure I wasn't lying.

"Alright." We walked quietly all the way back to the house. It was really peaceful out, and I enjoyed listening to Bella's heartbeat.

 **Bella POV:**

We came back to the entire family outside watching Liam arm wrestle Emmett. Liam was obviously stronger, but Emmett was not giving up. Eventually Emmett's hand was slammed into a rock slab in defeat.

"Dammit! I want a rematch!"

"No problem big guy. Had a nice walk?" Liam asked us as we came near. He was looking at me with knowing eyes. Stupid annoying brother.

"Yes it was pleasant." Alice answered in a dreamy voice. Oh great. Now everyone will know. Emmett's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, and Rosalie even cracked a smile. My annoyance at their reactions was interrupted abruptly by a loud growl coming from Edward.

"How _dare_ you Alice? Bella was _mine_! Of course now you like her when she's a mongrel beast! Do you even know how many people she's killed? How can you love someone with no soul?" I had never seen Edward lose control like that. Every Cullen was staring at him in shock. I was trying to decide if I should lunge at him or not. I mean he was Alice's brother, but the fucker was asking for it. Before I had time to make up my mind however, Alice had tackled him to the ground. That would be my imprint.

"Don't you ever talk about her like that! She's her own person and belongs to no one!" She was beating his face into the ground and I couldn't be more proud.

"Need any help sis?" Emmett looked livid at Edward right now. Actually so did the entire family. Not even Esme had a lick of remorse on her face. Edward had gotten over his surprise of Alice's attack and got a decent hit in, sending my imprint flying backwards. Now he's dead. I lunged for his neck, phasing midair. His face was in utter horror and he had no time to react before I had him. My teeth wrapped around his neck and I tossed him across the lawn like a rag doll. Edward ran at me full speed and all I had to do was bat him like a fly with my paw. He howled in pain, serves the fucker right. I was about to make my move and end his pathetic life, when a soft voice called to the side of me.

"Easy Bells." It was Liam, with one look he brought me back to reality. As much as Edward deserved it, I did not want to kill him right here and now. Probably not the best impression. I grunted at him to show my understanding. Edward fled the scene in fright. Shit. I was now a huge wolf in front of Alice, did she run as well? I turned to look for her, but she was already next to me, reaching out as if to pet me. I leaned my head out towards her to let her know I was in control. She smiled at me and stroked the fur on my head. I let out an involuntary purr at her touch and she giggled.

"Looks like Alice has a new pet." Rosalie laughed at the ridiculous scene. Alice growled at her defensively. "Easy there, just making a joke. You know I like Bella." Alice turned back to me and continued her petting of my head.

"I'll go run and get some clothes." Liam said happily. I laid down on the grass comfortably and let Alice stroke my coat. She was making me so relaxed and sleepy, it was really enjoyable.

"That was pretty bad-ass Bella." Emmett moved so he was sitting next to us. "Too bad he ran though."

"He'll be back." That was the first time I'd heard Jasper speak all day. "Maybe some time away will do him some good. Make him think. It's a pleasure to have you back Bella by the way." Liam came back with some of my clothes and I went under the forest cover to phase back and change.

"Sorry for the mess." I apologized lamely.

"Don't you dare apologize. Edward needed a lesson for what he said. I hope you know that we agree with nothing he said Bella?" Carlisle had a disgusted look on his face when speaking of his son.

"I do now. Thank you." Esme smiled warmly at me and then spoke to everyone.

"How about we all go inside and talk there? Can I get you two anything to drink?" She addressed Liam and me.

"No thank you Mrs. Cullen." Liam replied as we followed everyone into the house.

"Oh please dear, call me Esme."

"No thank you Esme." I said softly to her. She stopped walking and turned to face me, her eyes shining with tears.

"Oh Bella!" She couldn't stop herself and flung her arms around me in a bone crushing hug. She had her youngest daughter back.

* * *

 **A/N: Well there was a small fight as requested. It's not over yet though! I will be traveling tomorrow so I might not be able to update until Tuesday or so. Also, I've been having trouble finding a good cover photo for this story, so if you have any suggestions please send them my way. As always, thank you all for the support!**


	22. Stubborn Love

**Chapter 22:** **Stubborn Love**

 **Alice POV:**

The rest of the evening was pleasantly spent with the family conversing with Liam and Bella. Well mostly Liam, Bella doesn't like to speak much. Liam said that will go away with time when she becomes more comfortable around everyone. Sometimes I am a little jealous of how he knows her so well, but then I realize how that came to be and feel instantly guilty. He is an amazing person and I'm so glad that Bella had and has him. I told him that when he took me aside later while Esme was fussing over how Bella needed to eat more.

"Alice, I'm going to warn you now that it won't be easy. So if you're not in this for the long haul you better say something to Bella now. I won't stand and let her be hurt ever again." His voice was as serious as I had ever heard it. I can only imagine how much pain he's seen my Bella in, and it pains me to even do that.

"I promise Liam. I swear I will never hurt her again. I would rather die." It all sounded very dramatic but it was true and I wanted him to know that. He was all Bella had left and was her only family you could say. Liam nodded at my words and we continued to talk until he decided it was time for them to get going. I really wanted to follow Bella home, but that was much too soon for her. Everyone jumped on me as soon as they left for the scoop. I told them the truth, how we kissed and now the ball was completely in her court. I was just going along for the ride.

"Alice I'm really proud of you." Rosalie has been my biggest supporter ever since I told her I was in love with Bella. "But, what are still doing here?"

"Rose come on! I'm not trying to be clingy or anything. She needs time."

"I agree with that. But this stage is very important. Now is the time you should be talking about your lives! Getting to know each other. You need to set a foundation. What's stopping you? Liam left for Virginia when she went home." Rose did have a point. How would she react if I just showed up though? I have never been so nervous about my every move.

"Ok ok I'm going. But I'm blaming you if it's a bad move."

"Fair enough. Good luck." She gave me a push out the door to my car. Well Bella, here I come.

 **Bella POV:**

It had been a long day. I was relaxing with a drink on the couch when the doorbell rang. Jake would just call if he was worried about me so I was curious about who it was.

"Alice? What are you doing here?" I sincerely hoped she wasn't trying to stay the night or anything. Liam told me that he gave her the intimacy and sex talk before he left. While most people would kill their best friends for telling their crush about that, I was very grateful. I was definitely not comfortable enough with Alice yet to bring it up and I had some hard lines that I was embarrassed about.

"Don't worry." She said as though she sensed what was on my mind. "I just came to talk. While this afternoon was lovely to spend with you, we didn't really converse much. I would like to get to know you better."

"Ok…" I was still unsure. Talking meant talking about feelings, and feelings made me itch. I'm really not sure I am ready for a normal relationship.

"Bella I swear I meant what I said earlier. I'm not going to push you towards anything. I really just want to know you. Your likes, your dislikes. And you can ask me anything too if you want." She said as she was still detecting my unrest. "And if I say or do anything that makes you uncomfortable just tell me right away."

"Alright." I said while letting her in. It didn't sound too bad, and I did like having her near me. We sat down on the couch, where we were not too long ago kissing. That seemed like it was forever ago now.

"So what's it like being a wolf?" I laughed at her eagerness. She was damn adorable.

"Um, I don't know I guess." That answer sucks Bella! She wants to know you, let her in a little. "Well it's fun with the whole freedom of it all, but a little scary with the inner animal stuff. Sometimes I'm worried I might lose control or something." Her eyes fell downcast slightly at my admission. But she looked at me sincerely and took my hand for a few seconds.

"Thank you." She whispered and gave my hand a small squeeze before dropping it again. After that little moment, her eyes lit up again. "Alright next question."

We continued talking for hours. Nothing really as personal as the first question had come up again. But it was really pleasant, I enjoyed how her eyes glowed every time I answered a question of hers. It was now very late and we had shifted closer together throughout the night. I felt very much like kissing her at the moment, so I did.

I leaned in close so she knew what I was doing, her breath caught up in surprise and excitement. My lips pressed against hers slowly and sensually. It was an intimate kiss and it was getting more and more heated with each passing second. Her scent was once again intoxicating my head and I was craving much more. She moaned as I pushed her back on the couch so I was on top of her. I kissed my way down her neck, nipping lightly at her cool skin. Now she was moaning louder and I was losing control. She forcibly grabbed my neck and pushed my lips back down on to hers in a frenzy. Her tongue was absolutely marvelous. I felt her hips jerk up against mine and almost lost it. My head cleared long enough for me to jump back away from her and catch my breath. We were both panting hard and I could smell her arousal thick in the air.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have lost control like that." I said while still trying to regain my composure. That was dangerous territory there. If I wasn't careful, I could have let the vampire side take control of me, and then all hell would have broken loose.

"Well I didn't exactly stop you. There are two parties responsible." Alice seemed to be almost back to normal. Her face was a cross between giddy and remorseful. I can't say I blame her. While as incredible as that was, it was too soon for me. "I should probably go." She got up to leave but I reached for her arm and stopped her.

"You don't have to. I mean, you can stay here if you want." Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure?" I could tell she wanted to spend time with me but was always careful about boundaries.

"Yeah. But I'm just sleeping ok? No incidents like that." I said emphasizing what had just happened.

"Of course. Thank you."

She waited on my bed while I took a shower and changed into sweats and a tank top. I knew she liked watching me sleep when I was human, and to be honest her presence soothed me. Sleep was always a scary thing now, with her there it felt better. Just as I was about to turn off the bedside light, she stopped me.

"Wait Bella, do you mind taking that off?" She motioned to the binding covering my tattoo. I had put it on after my shower out of instinct. "It's just, I like seeing you as you are. And I know you can't take that off outside of here but I thought maybe with just us you could?" She startled rambling nervously.

"Sure Alice." I took it off and she gazed at my arm silently. I worried that she would always have that sad expression on her face when she looked at it. But she looked up and smiled at me warmly.

"Thank you Bella. Goodnight." I turned off the light and whispered back to her.

"Goodnight Alice."

* * *

 **A/N: Awwwww. I really do love these two. Alright, fair warning of possible lemon coming up in a chapter or two. Hint hint. I mean this story is rated M. Now I will bid you all goodnight, I have a long week ahead of me. Argh school. THANK YOU FOR READING AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT**


	23. I Won't Say I'm In Love

**Chapter 23:** **I Won't Say I'm In Love**

 **Alice POV:**

Bella was sleeping peacefully by my side and I was most content. Her relaxed heartbeat was putting me into a tranquil state, so I laid down next to her and closed my eyes. I could listen to that heart forever and it would still bring a smile to my face. Call it a mate thing I guess. I studied her features trying to memorize them. I wanted to snuggle into her chest but was afraid it would wake or startle her, so I just continued to watch her torso rise and fall with each steady breath.

Suddenly her heartbeat picked up however, and her breathing became rapid and uneven. She started to mutter and shake from what looked like a nightmare.

"Bella." I called quietly not wanting to scare her awake. But it was no good. I reached out and shook her shoulder lightly while calling her name again. She immediately woke with wide eyes and heavy breathing.

"What? What happened? Is something wrong?" She looked around for any signs of immediate danger.

"No everything's fine. You were having a nightmare." I explained. Did she not know that? She used to know when I woke her from one as a human.

"Oh." She relaxed back into the pillows. "Thank you. But in the future there's really no need to wake me unless it's a bad one."

"That wasn't bad?" I was astonished by her lackadaisical attitude. "What would you classify as bad?"

"Well Jake always told me he would only wake me if I was screaming or thrashing around or something. Anything less than that and it will usually go away." She shrugged. I felt sick. Not only from the jealousy of Jacob sleeping with my mate, but that nightmares like that were a normal occurrence. Bella realized her mistake of mentioning Jacob and her face paled. "Sorry."

"No it's alright. Jacob did take care of you when I did not. That doesn't mean I like him though." She nodded at my words. I lay back down to signal for her to go back to sleep. She got the message and rolled back into a slumber. A few small nightmares came and went as she slept until the alarm went off. I had a new goal: to be there for every nightmare Bella would have and to comfort her.

 **Bella POV:**

My alarm went off blaring in my ear to start the morning. Right. School today. Oh joy. We had skipped yesterday with all the drama going on, but there were no excuses today. However, my morning was brightened considerably when I remembered who was in my bed.

"Good morning!" Alice said loudly with a huge smile on her face. She was practically bouncing with excitement for the day. I'm really not a morning person but she did make me cheerful, so in spite of myself I gave her a good morning kiss. It was a short and chaste kiss, something a married couple would do after a long day, but it still gave me butterflies. Her too obviously because she whispered into my ear "I could get used to that." _That_ gave me chills. I moved out of bed quickly to get ready before I did anything stupid.

Alice was my little shadow following me around the house as I prepared and ate breakfast. She must enjoy my presence just as I hers. She did have to go home eventually and change before school. Plus I thought it would be weird to drive in with her. I barely wanted a relationship at this point, let alone people assuming that I'm in one. She kissed me goodbye, this time a little longer than the morning one we shared, and left me alone with my thoughts.

She was very bipolar around me. One moment she was depressed about me, and the next she was bouncing with joy. And then every once in a while aroused, which was starting to give me issues. I sure as hell couldn't go to Jake anymore, but I was not nearly under control to do anything with her yet. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

School was pretty boring for the most part. I kept my table at lunch so it would not seem strange that I was friendly with the Cullens again so suddenly. Edward was a no show, so he did know what was good for him. But Gym class got interesting. I was minding my own business doing push-ups and sit-ups when the smell of Alice's arousal hit my like a freight train. I felt my eyes immediately darken.

"Alice!" I hissed at her. "Stop that now!" She was staring at me, biting her lip in a very sexy way. But she jumped out of her current state when she heard me.

"What?" She asked in horror. I had a feeling she knew what I was talking about but was hoping against hope that it wasn't true.

"You know what I'm talking about! Now unless you want an unpleasant situation to happen here I suggest you lock it up woman! You're driving me insane." If vampires could blush, Alice would be the deepest shade of scarlet right now. Emmett had to excuse himself to go to the bathroom because he could not stop laughing hysterically. Alice didn't say a word for the rest of class in utter embarrassment. She approached me after Gym when I had finished changing with the look of mortification still plastered on her face.

"How- how long have you been able to _sense_ that?" Now I didn't want to be completely honest here and tell her the truth, which was ever since I came back. My senses were already heightened, but with her as my imprint I was very in tune with hers particularly. But I also felt it would be wrong to lie to her now.

"Um, a while." She only nodded at me, getting the point. She knew I had _sensed_ all her other incidents like that while she was staring at me in class. Just now I could say something about it.

"Sorry." She whispered quietly. I felt slightly guilty for calling her out on it, but now that we had done some things, I was craving her much more. Emmett finally appeared again after we exited the locker room, still shaking with laughter.

"You wanna come over later Bella? I've been dying for a rematch on _Call of Duty_." I really had missed Emmett as a big brother, he was so loveable.

"Sure thing bear man. And then after I kick your ass again I can destroy you in that arm wrestling match you wanted."

"Hell yes! Alright later Bells, I gotta take horn dog over here home."

"Emmett!" Alice and I both yelled at him. I just made Alice's life a lot harder for her.

I drove home quietly listening to music, looking forward to spending another evening and possible night with Alice. Who have I become? I know I can't handle a relationship now but I also can't not be with her. And when I'm with her, all my logical thinking goes out the window. She makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. Can you believe that? Well love makes you say crazy things. Wait, _love_? We made ourselves a promise Bella. And now you think you might be _in love_ with someone? A Cullen no less? Karma is a bitch ain't she.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter was named after the song in Hercules "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)". I always liked that song and Meg's sarcasm in the movie. Great movie. Awesome now I want to watch it. Well you know what I'll be doing later. What a shame that I have to s** ** **tudy, four exams this week. Yikes!** As always, thank you all for the love it makes me smile every damn day. I bid you goodnight (Another fucking amazing song) and wish you all well. **


	24. Girl Crush

**A/N: Chapter named after the song 'Girl Crush' by Little Big Town. Announcement: as you can all tell I name a lot of my chapters after songs, so I've decided to make a youtube channel with a playlist of all the songs I've used. I will be keeping it up to date. I'll copy the link here and in my profile.** ** **So if you have the time, go ahead and give it a listen. All the songs are in order of the chapters.** Also thinking about making a playlist of just some good music I like to listen to. Some more good news: I passed two exams today so yay. Halfway there folks. I really enjoy all the reviews and I do read them, so if there's something you really want to see happen tell me. If I can do it I most likely will, and I'll give you a shout-out too. Really I have an end game for this story and obviously some set in stone things but right now the story is pretty open. Alright I'm done talking now, thank you for reading :)  
**

channel/UCPjkgVMkiGOhv586-_ciITA

* * *

 **Chapter 24:** **Girl Crush**

 **Alice POV:**

This afternoon was just short of deathly embarrassing. I was watching Bella in Gym, like I normally did, thinking about the evening before and what lay beneath all those damn clothes. I had no idea how turned on I had gotten until Bella yelled at me. Of course Emmett heard the entire ordeal and wasted no time in telling everyone on the ride home. They would all be giving me shit for the rest of eternity that's for sure. But I didn't mind that much, Bella was coming over later.

My favorite sound in the whole world approached the door at exactly four in the afternoon, my mate's heartbeat. I ran to the door to intercept her first and she laughed at my excitement.

"Now don't get too excited Alice!" Rosalie called from the couch which caused Emmett to explode into another fit of giggles. I growled at her.

The afternoon and evening were absolutely lovely. My mate was amazing at everything. She beat Emmett in every video game he owned, which caused him to break the TV, and won the arm wrestling match with very little effort. Esme convinced her to stay for dinner but Bella insisted on helping her cook. Watching Bella from my spot on the counter, I realized I had fallen head over heels with this perfect woman. Despite what she thought of herself. Rosalie suddenly snickered behind me.

"What?" I asked defensively thinking she was making fun of me again.

"You're too obvious Alice." She whispered under her breath so Bella wouldn't hear. "I can practically see the little hearts floating above your head."

"Oh shut it Rose. I'm happy." I was still peeved at her from earlier.

"I know." She dropped her smile and looked at me seriously. "You have no idea how glad we all are about this. I can see how happy she makes you, and you make her." I raised my eyebrows at that last part. "Really. Look at her laughing with Esme right now. Would you even think that a possibility three weeks ago?" Rosalie left me to stare at Bella again.

I felt slightly bolder by the end of the evening and followed Bella out the door after she bid everyone a good night.

"Now just where do you think you're going?" She asked me as I slid into the shotgun seat.

"Home with you." I said bluntly and she smiled and said 'ok' with a laugh. Damn did she drive fast! She was handling the vehicle with such ease it was turning me on. I like cars ok? And I especially like my girl knowing how to work one flawlessly. I had forgotten about our conversation in Gym so it surprised me when Bella's eyes went pitch black. Oh shit my bad. I was about to apologize and pull my head out the gutter when she abruptly pulled the car into a deserted area. She was growling lowly and I could not stop the excitement flowing through me now. She was turning me on, which turned her on, which again turned me on. It was an endless cycle.

I couldn't take the anticipation anymore so I grabbed her neck roughly pulling her lips to mine. Jesus her skin was hot! I know she's part werewolf and everything, but dang. She moved to position herself on top of me in the passenger's seat. Her hands were roaming my body filing every nerve with fire. Her lips trailed down my throat again and I let out a very loud growl. Feeling frustrated, I pushed her off me for a second and threw off my shirt. Even in her extremely feral state, her eyes widened at my sudden action. After a second of wondering if I had done something, I was once again attacked by Bella's lips. Her hands were kneading my chest and I really needed some sort of friction before I lost it. I pulled at her waist hoping that she'd get my hint, but her mind was too far gone. This probably wasn't my smartest move. Bella's control was already small since she was still a newborn and all, and I was adding fuel to the fire. I would have been more concerned if I wasn't where I was right now. Worry was not on the forefront of my mind. I grabbed her shirt to tear off, but stopped when I felt something on her chest. Her identification tags on a chain around her neck.

All of a sudden everything rushed back to me and my logical thinking returned. What were we doing? What was _I_ doing? I didn't want our first time to be here and like this! And I especially didn't want Bella in the state she was in now. I tried to gently push her off me again but it wasn't having any effect. So I pushed her hard and she seemed to get the gist of it. For a moment her black eyes were just staring at me as if to ask what I was doing. But slowly her eyes faded back to the light gray I've come to know and love, and she jumped off me once again.

"Fuck! Shit Alice I'm so sorry! I knew I was losing control and didn't stop myself. Fuck that was all my fault." She put her head in her hands angry with herself.

"Once again Bella, there are still two parties here. It wasn't like I was resisting or anything." I tried to make light of the situation but Bella just looked up at me with an odd expression on her face. "What? What did I say?" Had I said something wrong?

"No. It's nothing. Come on let's go." She dropped the subject quickly and we were back on the road in no time. What the hell was that about?

"Can I still stay the night?" I asked hesitantly. Her mood was still strange and I wasn't sure.

"Yeah. If you want to." What did I say? I didn't want to ask in case it was sensitive or something, but I was genuinely concerned. I spent the rest of the night in silence as she got ready for bed. Finally, I couldn't take the not speaking anymore and asked her something I'd been wondering a while when the lights were out.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"I was wondering, um, what was it like? Back when the Volturi had you?" I knew I was just asking for pain with that question, but she never talked about it with me. She rolled over to look at me with a curious expression on her face. Like a 'what's your angle here?' face. But her eyes hardened to that no emotions look I knew all too well and she rolled back to her side.

"Like nothing you could ever imagine."


	25. Every Little Thing

**A/N: Lemon Alert! Also sensitive subject alert. So heavy and hot chapter. Continue if you dare.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25:** **Every Little Thing**

 **Bella POV:**

 _"You've been insubordinate again subject_ _ **173952**_ _. You know what that means don't you?" Don't respond._

 _"She is being a little more difficult today isn't she Felix. I'll fix that up for you right away." Footsteps were approaching. Not him. Anyone but him. "You could have avoided this_ _ **173952**_ _if you just followed orders. When are you going to learn that we own you? Your every thought or feeling belongs to the Volturi. You are nothing. So you should be thinking about nothing. Submit!" Don't respond. Don't give him the satisfaction._

 _"Well, have fun with her Caius. And don't give her back again until she's sorted out."_

 _"Oh don't worry about that Felix."_

"Bella! Wake up! Please! Bella wake up!"

"No!" I threw the body off of me forcefully, trying to find a weapon.

"Bella stop it's me! It's Alice! Look at me." The voice calling my name was sweet sounding, but she was obviously panicked. The name Alice did ring a small bell in me, so I turned to look at the person I'd shoved on the floor. _Alice_. My imprint. I attacked my imprint. She had her hands help up in the air to signal she meant no harm. Her eyes were full of fear and concern. I felt absolutely terrible.

"Fuck Alice I'm so sorry. I thought you were attacking me, I completely lost my head. Are you hurt? Are you ok?" I jumped off the bed to assess her and check for any injuries. She wasn't responding to me in any way and it was starting to worry me. "Alice? Are you hurt?" I put my hands on either side of her face so she would focus on me. Her eyes were filled with tears and before I knew it she was sobbing into my chest.

"God Bella I was so scared! You were thrashing around and yelling! I didn't know what to do!" She had gone into hysterics and I was terrified that I had caused her harm in some way.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No you didn't hurt me! Stop asking me that! It's you I'm worried about here!" She started hitting me angrily while still sobbing. Obviously I had touched a nerve.

"Ok ok! Stop ok! Alice I'm fine! You're fine. It's all fine. Please calm down."

"CALM DOWN? You want me to calm down?!" Oh no. I'm really dead now. "How in the hell am I supposed to calm down?! One second you're sleeping peacefully and the next you-" I went for broke and covered her yelling mouth with my lips. Maybe a distraction would calm her down. She was taken aback at first and almost pushed me off, but I pulled her close to me in a preemptive strike. Eventually, she succumbed and let me have my way with her lips. When I shifted away her eyes were in a dreamlike state. Mission accomplished Swan.

"Better?" I asked her hesitantly. She rolled her eyes and took my hand, leading me back to bed.

"For now. Thank you. But we'll talk about this in the morning. Now go back to sleep." So the fight wasn't over, but I could deal with it in the morning. Instead of rolling over to my side to sleep again, I pulled Alice in close to my chest and held her there until I drifted off.

* * *

After our dreaded talk in the morning, things got a lot better. I mean I still wasn't being completely honest and open with Alice, but she was accepting of it. For now. Alice and I have been hanging out, you could say, for almost four weeks now. I wouldn't call it dating because we don't do that. We're just friends that hang out a lot, and sometimes end up making out.

With every day my control was getting better and better. There were several times we had come very close to sex but I never pulled the trigger. I knew I had the control now, but was still nervous. It would be our first time and I really didn't want to fuck it up. I could tell Alice was getting frustrated but she never said a thing. That is until yesterday when I stopped us once again.

"Ok, Bella what is holding you back now? We both know you have the control. And Liam told me everything I needed to know about what not to do." I had cringed. Yes, I was grateful that he told her but it still made me very embarrassed. The thing is, intimacy is really hard for me. When I was hooking up, that's all it was, just sex and nothing of it. But with an imprint it would be different, and there were certain things I couldn't explain to her.

When she asked, I told Alice that I lost my virginity to Jacob. She already disliked him and she knew of our past, so it made sense. But the truth is, that's not the truth at all. I lost my virginity to the Volturi, well Caius to be exact. He was a cruel and sick man who took pleasure in my pain. It was his special torture he did to me. To punish me, he would say. But really it was whenever he was bored or in a particularly foul mood. I would _never_ tell Alice. She already hates herself enough as it is, and I couldn't bear to see her in that amount of agony. Also I really don't want anyone to know about it. Well of course Liam and the Volturi know, but I don't want it out there. It makes me feel weak and useless, and I hate feeling that way. But things like that leave some pretty deep emotional scars. The Volturi kind of fucked up everything for me, including meaningful emotional sex. So Liam had told her it would take some time for me to be _completely_ intimate with her. Like on my side of things. Liam reassured me that eventually when I have been with her for a while and trust her wholly, then things will be normal. Of course I don't know how he knows this, he just believes.

I blew off her question yesterday and went for a walk to clear my head. What was I holding back for? It's not like Alice would ever do anything to make me uncomfortable. She was perfect, and I was being stupid per usual. So that brings us to now, in my house, where I have Alice pinned against the wall while I kiss her without mercy. Idiot it's called the bedroom. Please do this properly the first time. Right. So I pulled away from her lips and carried her up to the bedroom, placing her on my bed. I went to resume my work when she stopped me.

"Bella what are you doing? Please don't do this because you think you need to. Or just because I want to. Because I will walk out right now if that's the case. I am perfectly fine waiting."

"No. Alice I swear. I'm doing this because it's right. And _I_ want to. Boy do I want to." We both laughed lightly at my joke. But her eyes refocused on my again, grazing her hand across my cheek.

"Are you sure?" She had the most loving look on her face.

"Yes. I'm a hundred percent sure."

I trailed kisses down her jawline and started nibbling on her neck. She must have been holding onto a lot of her arousal because my senses were suddenly flooded with it. I had to pause only for a moment to regain composure. My fingers slid underneath the hem of her shirt, asking for permission to remove it.

"Tear it! I don't care." Ok I know these last few weeks have been sexually frustrating for the both of us, but I never knew it was affecting her this badly. I gently removed her shirt even with her comment, Alice loved clothes and I never wanted to upset her. My lips went back to the spot on her neck that made her moan oh so loudly and I started moving them southward. Afraid she might get mad if I asked for permission again, I removed her bra quickly and started giving individual attention to her breasts. Her skin tasted so incredible that I was slightly worried I would go into a frenzy for it. She started to vibrate with a low growl of impatience. Alice wanted it fast, but I wanted and _needed_ it slow.

"Alice, baby, patience please?" I went back to her face to convey the importance of my request. She looked like a drugged cat. Crap. All this worry about my control and she's the one that's losing it. But she stopped growling and kissed me her apology.

"Sorry." She took another breath to steady herself. "May I?" She asked pointing to my shirt. I just nodded at her and got up slightly so she could remove it alongside my bra.

"Alice stop staring." She had not moved once my torso was bare and it was making me self-conscious. Which is saying something because I never am.

"Hmmmm what? Oh sorry. It's just, you're so beautiful." I blushed deeply while she continued to gaze. Only my imprint would make me capable of being self-conscious and embarrassed.

"Nothing compared to you." I whispered going back to her breasts once again. But she pulled my head up and started kissing me with fire she never had before. She flipped us in an instant, so now she was the one on top. I wasn't sure about this position. I preferred being the one in control in this situation. Now she was the one sucking on my breasts and it was undoing me. While I did want her to enjoy herself, I couldn't very well come now. So I flipped us and she growled in protest at me. I shut her up with a sneak attack to her pants. Damn pixie got me so riled up that I needed to get her to release before I did. Forgetting about slow, I yanked off her pants and skimpy underwear in one fluid motion.

"Please?" She was in between the drugged cat state and horny as hell state. And I can't turn down that face. I threw my head down between her legs and she gasped in surprise. She did ask me to, didn't she? Well there's no way in hell I'm stopping now. Alice was a drug, once I got one taste I was addicted. I slowly slid one finger inside her while my tongue continued its relentless teasing. This was heaven. The sounds Alice were making were driving me certifiably insane. I decided to add another finger and her nails dug painfully into my scalp.

"Yes! Bella yes!" I really didn't want to stop for a second, but her nails had drawn a little blood.

"Alice, easy on the head please?" She obeyed immediately and apologized as I went back to my work.

"Pants!" She gasped out between her panting. Now that's an odd thing to say while someone is fucking you.

"What?"

"Your pants Bella!"

"Oh right." I removed my jeans quickly and threw them aside as well. She definitely owned me, and I was ok with that. When I moved back to my position between her legs, she pushed her shin right against my center, eliciting an extremely loud moan from me. Crap Bella please finish her before she finishes you. I continued my sucking and thrusting much harder and I could feel her start to shake.

"Oh god! Bella I'm so close."

"I know!" I ground out with my teeth now clenched. The imprint made me experience her emotions when they were particularly strong. And right now they definitely were. I was trying to hold it together with her arousal flowing through me and her pressing firmly against me, it was becoming extremely difficult. With one last pump of my fingers she went over the edge, and I went with her. It was a mind blowing orgasm to say the least.

Eventually I crawled my way up to her out of breath and sweaty. That had taken a lot out of me. I could probably sleep for a few days. Alice was giggling next to me. I raised my eyebrow. "What?"

"You just look really cute right now." I propped myself up on an elbow to look at her properly. Her hair was in complete disarray, as I'm sure was mine, and she looked utterly content. I was too tired to comment back however and just gave her a 'hmf'. She giggled again.

"I think my wolf needs some well-deserved sleep." She pulled a sheet over us and snuggled into my chest, cooling me down nicely. I faded into a most comfortable sleep almost instantly.

* * *

 **A/N: So on the one hand you got that deep shit, but on the other hand you got sex. So... You know. Anyways, that will probably be my most in depth lemon, unless you all really want in depthness, but there will still be sex after this. They are dating. Oh but they aren't. Hmmm. They should probably have that conversation. Shit, they need to have _a lot_ of conversations. I thought about splitting this chapter up but I just couldn't do it. I have been trying to lengthen my chapters anyways. So goodnight everyone. Sleep well and have a good day :)**


	26. The G Word

**Chapter 26:** **The G Word**

 **Alice POV:**

I'd never seen Bella sleep to peacefully before. She did not have one nightmare. I had floated off into a nice trance which made the morning come in minutes. Bella's eyes started fluttering in that way I knew meant she was about to wake, so I kissed her eyelids to bid her a good morning. She smiled and opened her sleepy eyes to look at me.

"Good morning." I whispered into her ear. I have never been this happy, or let alone even close to being this happy. She groaned slightly and stretched her limbs out.

"Good morning to you too." I put my head back on her chest were I had been laying, and relaxed against her while she played with my hair. There was really no rush to start the day.

"Do you always have to wear these?" I asked her while I played with the dog tags that she was still wearing.

"Well yeah I guess. It makes it easier if I'm killed or something so they know not to mess with my body. Or where to take me. That sort of stuff." The way she talked about death so nonchalantly didn't sit well with me.

"So how does that work? Liam said you kind of come back to life after some time. He also mentioned it was quite painful." If her dying was a painful experience, I didn't want her doing it at all. Plus there's something instinctual about not wanting my mate to die in the first place, even if I know she can't _really_ die. What if she has a limited amount of lives or something? I don't know. One can never be too careful.

"Yeah pretty much. It's usually about a few hours or so." I noticed she didn't expand on the painful part. But I'm not going to spoil our perfectly good morning, so I continued to play with the tags around her neck, thinking.

"Do you want some breakfast?" I asked getting up, realizing I was neglecting my wolf. "I can go make something for you."

"Since when do you cook?" She sat up looking at me with a sly grin on her face.

"For you information, I asked Esme to start teaching me how to cook for you. For mornings just like this."

"Well now that was a little forward of you." She teased at me. I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of her flannels to put on, like any cliché overnight visitor.

"Oh be quiet. You stay there. I'm bringing you breakfast in bed." I kind of knew what she liked as a human so I figured it hadn't changed much. So I made a stereotypical eggs and bacon breakfast with toast and coffee on the side. The toast got slightly burnt, and I'll admit I'm not really sure how to make coffee. But it looked good. I think.

"Wow." Bella exclaimed when I ran it all up to her. I was eager for her to taste it. She took a very hesitant bite.

"Well? How is it?" She pondered me for a moment.

"You know maybe I should do the cooking from here on out." Oh no.

"Is it really that bad? I've only had a few lessons with Esme, but I really thought I was learning stuff!" My dreams were shattered.

"They say it's the thought that counts."

"Ugh oh shut up. I've ruined it. I'm Charlie Brown." She started chuckling as I plopped face down on the bed in defeat.

"Aw come on Alice! I think it's really sweet that you're trying to cook. But really, you don't have to. I've been cooking forever and am perfectly capable of feeding myself. And of course Esme is feeding me every chance she gets as well. Trust me, I'm not going to starve to death." I _was_ being a little dramatic. It's just I've had this morning on my mind for a while and I wanted it to be perfect. Almost as if she read my mind, she leaned down and whispered to me. "This morning _is_ perfect. You could never ruin anything."

"How about making it even more perfect?" I asked while propping myself up and arching my eyebrow. Bella laughed once again.

"Oh no I've made a monster haven't I?"

"Oh yes you have." I purred.

* * *

The next hour or two were spent in the bedroom. Her joke about me turning into a monster may be true. I didn't ever want to leave her side. Eventually we got up to get some proper food for my mate. After all the various activity, she needed some fuel.

"Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you I'm going to be out of town next weekend." She told me casually while eating her breakfast.

"What? Why?" I didn't like her leaving. She was my mate. Vampires tend to get very territorial after having sex with their mate for the first time. I would have mentioned this to her, but I figured she already knew since she was half vampire and all. Apparently not if she was leaving.

"Just an assignment. Some forces are being backed up by the Volturi to defend their land. Yada yada. It's just a weekend though." She looked up at me confused about my sudden mood change.

"No."

"Sorry?"

"No! I don't want you going! You'll be in danger or get killed or worse. No. I can't think about you being hurt or even being captured again." I was getting angry at how she wasn't taking this seriously.

"What the hell Alice? When did you get all clingy? I can do whatever I want. We've already had this discussion, have you forgotten?"

"That was about fucking other people! And we weren't even in a relationship then!" I had gotten up to yell. It was heated now. "This is about your fucking safety! I think I have some say! It's not like you need a job or anything for financial reasons!"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Bella had gotten up as well, obviously seething. "First of all I have this job because I like what I do. It makes me feel like I'm actually doing something right in the world! You of all people should support me with that. Trust me, I don't _need_ this job. But to me it's not a job, it's my life. So you need to deal with that. And secondly, what relationship? I told you I don't want a relationship! What part of commitment issues did you not understand? So stop telling me what to do, I am _not_ your girlfriend!"

It was as though someone had stuck one knife in my back and another in my un-beating heart. I couldn't even stand to look at her right now, I needed to get out of here. She obviously realized she had crossed a line because she started trying to apologize right away. I wouldn't hear it though. She kept calling me as I ran out the door, so I turned to face her.

"Glad to finally know how you actually feel."

* * *

 **A/N: Oh Bella. I swear you're like Gilligan, always messing shit up. But Alice you gotta cool down too. I'm so very tired. New chapter should be up tomorrow night. Probably another lemon. Everyone loves make up sex. And that wasn't a spoiler ok? They're mates. Not like they can sulk forever.**


	27. Don't Stop

**Chapter 27:** **Don't Stop**

 **Bella POV:**

I fucked up. I fucked up real bad. Alice had really pissed me off with the 'not needing a job' comment and the whole her getting on my case about what I do. But I truly went over the line. What surprised me about all this was the fact that she usually never brings up the relationship or girlfriend discussion. So when she threw it at me in a fight, it made me very uncomfortable and revert to my old self. I know I used to never want to be in a relationship, but was that still true? Did I want to be someone's girlfriend? I needed some quality time to think. All I knew was that I never wanted to be the cause of Alice's pain ever again.

I ran outside and stripped so I could phase. Running in wolf form always seemed to calm me down and let me think clearly. Something about the fresh air and freedom I guess. I lost track of time while questioning my decision, and before I knew it, it had gone dark. But my mind was made up.

It started to rain while I ran back to the house to get some clothes. By the time I had gotten to my car to head the Cullen house it was positively pouring. As I pulled into the long drive I noticed all the other Cullens were gone. My nose only picked up Alice's scent. Where were the others? Oh right. They had all gone on a hunting trip for the weekend and Alice stayed behind so she could be with me. Now I feel even worse.

Alice could tell my car was outside the house, but did not run to the door like she usually did. I took a deep breath before I left the vehicle. Time to take the plunge.

"Alice!" I called through the downpour of rain. My body was soaked in seconds. No response. "Alice please? I need to talk to you!" Finally her head peeked out of a door on the second floor balcony. It was the one attached to her room.

"What?" She asked coldly. Yeah I deserve that.

"Alice please? I fucked up ok? Look I was angry about what you said about my work. But I didn't mean what I said!"

"Yes you did! You know, it's really my fault for thinking you could change for me. I let myself get hopeful. Please just leave Bella. I can't really stand to look at you right now." She started to walk back inside.

"No! Alice please wait! Don't you want to know why I didn't just run after you today? Why it took me so long to come here?" I had succeeded in stopping her, but she just turned to look down at me with ice in her eyes.

"Because you don't care Bella! I get it! You have no feelings. Nothing to hold you down."

"No! Because I _do_ care! Alice I can't stop thinking about you. Ever! You're the only thing on my mind. And I pushed you away because I was scared. Scared because I do have feelings for you. Fucking strong feelings!" The rain was really getting into my eyes now and I couldn't make out her face properly. Was she believing me?

"So what you have feelings? I have feelings too you know! Most people do. That doesn't change anything about what happened today."

"No Alice you're not hearing me. I want to be your girlfriend! I want a relationship! I want to go on dates and do romantic things and everything! Alice I want to be with you!" She had disappeared from the balcony too fast for me to see. Great. I was soaking wet and now I lost the girl of my dreams. I turned back to my car to head home, when something very hard collided with me. "What the-?" but my mouth was assaulted by Alice's before the rest of my sentence could leave it. It was like one of those corny romantic movies with the passionate kiss in the pouring rain. I put all my feelings into kissing her right, so she could feel how much I cared. Eventually we parted and I rested my forehead against hers.

"Do you really mean it?" She asked looking up into my eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful. "Do you really want to be my girlfriend?"

"Absolutely." An earsplitting grin spread across her face before she started to kiss me again with fire. She grabbed a hold of my shirt to pull me into the house. Once inside, she peeled it off my soaked body. Something animalistic inside of me was roaring. She's your girlfriend now! Stop pussy footing around! I ripped her shirt from her torso and threw it behind me. There was a time for slow and tender love making, but this was not that time. I needed her _now_.

I picked her up against my body and she wrapped her legs around my waist. The bedroom was much too far. I slammed her against the nearest wall and sucked on the sweet spot on her neck. She started moaning that sexy moan that made me instantly wet. Stupid fucking bra in my way. I ripped that too. There was no time to think about Alice getting mad at me later. She didn't seem to mind at all right now though. Her nails dug into my back, effectively shredding my bra. She was digging and clawing at every inch of my exposed flesh and it was driving me up the wall. To hell with beds. I tore her jeans off just enough for me to gain access to what I really wanted. Wasting no time, I plunged my index and middle finger inside her and she screamed in pleasure. Her nails were drawing blood now, but I didn't care in the least. Her moans and cries were giving me issues again, so I shut her up with my mouth. The force I was using to pound her into the wall was making me slightly concerned about the wall's integrity. So I threw her on the ground to finish what I started. She was getting very close, I could feel it. I curled my fingers up to give her the final push over the brink, and was rewarded with her yelling my name in ecstasy. And _that_ was ecstasy to hear.

I was an absolute mess. Coated in water, sweat, cum, and blood. Alice was coming back from her high and started laughing us. We were panting on the ground in a heap of half torn and torn clothing. But she stopped laughing when she noticed my blood.

"Oh shit I'm sorry Bella. Are you ok?" My new girlfriend asked me concernedly. God I love saying that. My girlfriend.

"Yeah it's fine. Doesn't even hurt. It should close up in a few minutes anyways. Fast healing remember?" She smiled knowing I was well.

"Would you care to continue in the bedroom?" She asked in that sultry tone I couldn't resist. I grinned and picked her up in my arms bridal style.

"Of course milady."

* * *

 **A/N: Yayyyyyy! Everything's perfect now right? WRONG! Some shit's coming, and y'all better brace. :) But I'll give you some gushy and gooey stuff to love before it hits the fan.**


	28. Weekends

**A/N: Mostly a fluffy lemony chapter. I do enjoy their happiness I swear. :)  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 28:** **Weekends**

 **Alice POV:**

Bella was sprawled out on my bed in a deep slumber. The sheets were utterly destroyed, spattered in blood and ripped in various places. I felt bad for clawing at her back and head so often that I switched to the sheets every once in a while. Actually we destroyed a lot of cloth items this evening. Oh well, we can just go on a shopping trip tomorrow. I smiled at the thought.

The family wouldn't be coming back until late tomorrow evening, so we had plenty of time to clean up our deeds. Emmett would never let it down if he knew what happened in the living room earlier. Although I'm pretty sure he and Rose have done it in every room of the house. They just have no shame, and I do.

I looked over at the sleeping beauty next to me. She really was perfect. Her body was toned and muscular, but it was also long and lean. She could probably use a bit more meat on her bones, but her metabolism burned too fast. Which is why Esme was so intent on cooking for her every chance she could get. I reached out to play with her soft hair while she slept. I could stay like this forever, watching her sleep so peacefully.

All too sun the sun was up, and Bella started to shift before waking. She opened her stunningly gray eyes and smiled at me.

"Good morning." She breathed out. "Alice? Are you purring?" I hadn't realized I was until she pointed it out. How long have I been doing that?

"I guess. I'm sorry."

"No don't be sorry. It was nice." She snuggled up to my chest comfortably and I continued petting her hair. We laid there for a while, until Bella's stomach growled loudly. I started chuckling.

"Looks like it's time to feed you. Come on, I won't touch the food this time. But I am making you get up and eat." She groaned in annoyance but got up when I did.

After breakfast we took a shower together, maybe slightly longer than a usual shower, and got dressed. We cleaned the living room and then hopped in the car for our shopping trip.

"Can I drive?" I asked her hopefully. I've been dying to drive her car for a while now. She looked at me skeptically.

"How about on the way back?"

"Deal!" The drive there was nice and smooth, and the shopping was done painlessly.

"Wow." Bella said while we were walking back to the car with bags in hand. "I'm really surprised you didn't try to get me into some ridiculous outfit or something. Are you feeling alright?" She stopped to take in my appearance. I bit my lip embarrassed.

"Well, I kind of like the clothes you wear now." I said while avoiding her eyes.

"Now wait just one moment. You, Alice Cullen, like the clothes I wear? Jeans, t-shirts, flannels, and sneakers?" I nodded shyly and she burst out laughing. "Where was I when hell froze over?"

"Oh shut up." I smacked her chest lightly and pushed her back. "I just think you make it look, sexy I guess. It suits you." She kept laughing all the way back to the car. Once we put the bags into the trunk she grabbed my chin in her hand and kissed me lightly. It made my stomach turn into butterflies with its tenderness. "Wha-what was that for?" She shrugged and handed me the keys.

"Because I can." My girlfriend really was the best. I jumped into the driver's seat, eager to start this baby up. "Now be careful with her Alice. I mean it." She said sternly to me. I understand that, wouldn't want anything bad happening to my baby Porsche.

"I promise babe. Nothing crazy I swear." The engine purred when I started it up. Oh yeah. It handled really well. She must have made some upgrades to the engine, this was not factory smooth. I glanced over to ask her and found her eyes completely black, staring me down. Fuck. I know that look. And once I see that look I can't help myself.

I immediately pulled over to a secluded area and pounced on her lap. She pressed her thigh up against me while I attacked her lips. Her tongue slithered into my mouth making me extremely frantic. I had started to rock against her thigh for friction without noticing. My wetness had seeped through my jeans onto hers. It had apparently irritated her enough to the point of shoving me against the dashboard and removing my pants. I should really start wearing more dresses and skirts now. It would make life a lot easier. Her thumb caressed my clit a moment before she entered her fingers inside me. It took all my will power not to bite her neck right then and there. But that would turn out very badly. Vampire venom was a painfully strong hallucinogen for them apparently. The Volturi used it by means of torture. So I refrained from biting her and sucked lightly on her neck while she fucked me.

Bella had told me earlier that sometimes my sounds gave her control a run for its money, so I concentrated on covering my mouth with her body. Every once in a while I would slip and let out a moan or cry, and Bella would shake. But the closer I got to coming the less control I had, and she knew that. Her pace had gotten faster and harder, and I was teetering over the edge. My mouth went back to hers and my hands entangled into her hair. Fuck so close. With a quick flick of her thumb she brought me toppling over and I accidentally bit her lip hard in the process. Dammit! Why do I keep making her bleed? Luckily I didn't bite long enough to release any venom. But still.

I rode out my orgasm and collapsed back against her body panting. She was breathing hard as well.

"Maybe I should let you drive more often." She breathed out exhausted. I could tell she came when I did by the way she was breathing. It makes me feel slightly better since I can't do as much to her as she can do to me. One day though.

"Well now you know." I laughed. After a few more minutes of relaxing, I pulled on my pants that needed to be washed now, and went back into the driver's seat. The rest of the drive was relatively quiet and calm from the aftermath. When we were almost home Bella turned to me.

"Hey what are you doing tonight?" Um I don't know. Was this a trick question?

"Um, hanging out with you?"

"Would you like to go on a date with me tonight?" I almost crashed. Do mine ears deceive me? Was Bella Swan asking me out on a date?

"A date? Like an actual date?"

"Well yeah. I figured I should probably take you out on one since you are my girlfriend now. And we do have sex, so it just seems to make sense."

"I would love to!" Our first date! This was so exciting. Oh god what was I going to wear? Now this is stressing.

"Alice, calm down. We'll just go see a movie. I can't very well take you to dinner. No need to put on some extravagant outfit or anything." Sometimes it was scary that she knew me so well.

* * *

We hung out around the house until it was time for our date. I even suggested that she move some of her clothes here and I would move some of mine to her place. While she was fine with the clothes thing, she did not like the idea of staying over while the whole family was here. It was one of the few times I see her old personality come through. My shy Bella.

At seven o'clock we left for Port Angeles. We were on our best behavior for the ride over, there was no time for any pit stops. And there were no spare clothes to change into if things were ruined. She let me pick the movie, so I chose some silly romantic comedy, but neither of us paid it any attention. Not for some naughty reason though. I spent most of the time with my head resting on her shoulder enjoying the moment. Enjoying the moment we could be a couple. Because once at school, we had to put our masks back on.

When the movie was over she took my hand and walked me out. It was a perfect evening, until I felt all her muscles tense up as she stopped abruptly.

"Bella? What's wrong?" I tugged on her hand trying to get her attention. She was staring at an empty space near a dark alleyway. Something was bothering her greatly and it was scaring me. "Bella? Look at me. Bella you're scaring me! What's wrong?" I had grabbed her face in desperation. She suddenly blinked and came back to me, mostly. Her muscles were still tense and I could tell she was on edge.

"Nothing. Come on let's go. I shouldn't have come here. Fucking stupid." She muttered the last bit to herself. Bella was dragging me by the hand back to the parking lot.

"No. No! Bella I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what just happened back there!" I yelled while planting my feet in place. She turned to face me, her jaw set hard.

"It was nothing! Please let's go."

"No! I mean it Bella. If you want this relationship to work you have to be honest with me. Or at least try!" She let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her messy hair.

"Alright fine!" Bella stepped back and took a deep sigh. "That-that was where I was, was taken." She finished quietly while staring down at her feet. My mouth fell open.

"Wait, that was where they took you? That was where the Volturi grabbed you?" She nodded at her shoes, not daring to look up at me. "Oh Bella!" I threw my arms around her, trying to shield her in some way. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know. I'm the idiot who didn't think about it." She wrapped her arms around me as well, that was a good sign.

"You're not an idiot. Come on, let's go home." She nodded and let me lead her the rest of the way. But before we left, I turned back to the spot where she had been glaring earlier. That's the spot where my mate's life was forever changed. I glared at it too. If just the spot could create a reaction like that from her, I worried about what other things may do. Is that why she didn't attend Charlie's funeral? Or keep her old truck? There was so little I actually knew about her now that I think about it. So many things buried deep down. This is why I'm here. She needs me.


	29. Guests and Visitors

**Chapter 29:** **Guests and Visitors**

 **Alice POV:**

"Hmmmmmm" I sighed out loud while adjusting myself in Bella's arms. We were laying on the couch at my place, relaxing after a long day of school. She had gone to read a book quietly, but I had missed being with her all day, so I positioned myself in her lap while she read. I enjoyed the rhythm of her chest rising and falling with each breath, and her chin resting on the top of my head. It was a pleasant afternoon.

"Awwww. Aren't you two just the cutest?" Emmett walked by with a mock high pitched squeal.

"Oh go away Emmett. We're relaxing." I rolled my eyes at him. He let out another laugh before leaving to go find Rosalie. Jasper smiled at me from across the room while he read in an armchair. Esme was busy in the kitchen, per usual when her favorite daughter was here. "Hey." I said while nudging Bella with my head to get her attention.

"Mmm?"

"Why do you think I had visions of you with golden eyes? Like ours?"

"That's an interesting question. I'm not sure really." She shifted slightly to put one hand on my abdomen. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. Just curious I guess. I wondered if you had any hypothesizes with that brilliant mind of yours."

"Well let's see here then. You said yourself the future is always changing right?"

"Right."

"So maybe you saw me becoming one of your kind at first. I mean it would make sense, you said you saw it happening." That is true. I did see her becoming one of us way back when. But then we left. "And then when the future of you leaving became more distinguished, and the Volturi made decisions about what they wanted to do, your vision of me changed." Wow. That did make a lot of sense. Even Jasper looked up from his book curiously.

"Alice that actually makes a lot of sense. I'd like to tell Carlisle and see what he thinks when he returns home." Jasper said still thinking. He nodded to himself and then returned to his book.

While her theory made total sense, I couldn't help but be saddened by it. I had a chance to be with her without all the pain she went through and I missed it. All the times I wished I was the first person she slept with instead of stupid Jacob Black. All those times I wished I could take away her bad memories and dreams. But I couldn't be unhappy now. I should be grateful that I even have her now.

"Have I ever told you that you're a genius?" I angled my head to look up at her while asking.

"Why yes actually. Just last week-"

"Oh shut up." I giggled at her teasing. She kissed the top on my head and then rested her cheek on it.

"Bella dear." Esme came into the room. "I made you some snacks honey."

"Oh thank you Esme but really I'm fine. There's no need to cook every time I come over."

"Oh nonsense Bella. You need to eat more. Alice get off her so she can eat."

"Mommmmmm!" I whined. She was trying to take my play thing away. I could feel Bella's torso vibrate with silent laughter. "She can eat later ok? Can't we just have some relaxation time?"

"Oh fine! But that means you're staying the night Bella. I need to get some proper food in you. Does that sound alright?"

"Uhhhhhh…" Bella said uncomfortably. I could feel her body heat up in a blush.

"Oh come on Bells! We all know what two consenting adults do at night time! And the rooms are soundproofed if it makes you feel better!"

"Emmett!" Esme and I both yelled simultaneously. Jasper started chuckling and Bella's blush got even worse.

"Come on babe. Can you stay the night? For me?" I put on my puppy dog eyes and turned to face her.

"Awww come on Alice! That's no fair! Yes fine I'll stay." She grumbled in annoyance. Victory!

Esme made an enormous dinner for Bella of course, but afterwards we just laid in front of the fire I made. We never used the fireplace since nobody who lived here needed the warmth, but it was actually quite cozy. After a while I could tell she was getting sleepy by the way her heart was slowing down, so we bid everyone a good night and went up to my room.

"You know we're not doing anything tonight right? It would just feel weird. Especially the first night I officially stay here." She looked at me concerned that I would jump her or something.

"Of course. Besides you're too tired anyways and you need the sleep." I rolled my eyes at her. "But you know, everyone in this house does it."

"Ugh Alice thanks for the mental pictures." She grimaced at me while changing into her sleeping sweats and tank top. I had moved and bought some clothes she liked to my closet. She already had her own two drawers in one of my dressers.

"Even Carlisle and Esme."

"Aliceeee!" She covered her ears like a small child and I laughed. "I do not want to hear these things! They're practically my parents. And they are yours!" Bella got into bed still shaking her head of the images. My heart was warmed greatly by her words.

"They would love that you know." I whispered to her. She smiled sadly at me, it was a sensitive subject, but she didn't block me out like she used to.

"Anyways," she changed the subject lightly, but not in a defensive way. "When did you become the pervy one and I became the prude?"

"Ah. I believe that was right when we started having sex." I put on a mock serious face. "I'm addicted baby. I'm addicted to you and there is no cure."

"Well you might as well face it, you're addicted to love."

"Nice!" I giggled as she shoved me playfully.

"Well you better contain yourself or I'm kicking you out of this bed."

"Yes ma'am." I gave her a mock salute before settling myself in her chest like usual.

"Night." She yawned into my hair.

"Goodnight Bella. Sweet dreams."

 **Bella POV:**

I was awoken in the morning by the glorious smell of bacon. Alice giggled as I sat bolt upright, sniffing the air.

"Is someone hungry this morning?"

"You bet I am!" I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs towards the food with Alice trailing behind me. Don't judge me ok? I'm part wolf and I get hungry. "Esme you are an angel." She set the most wonderful looking plate of food in front of me.

"And _that_ is why you are my favorite child." She kissed my cheek and left the kitchen to bid her husband goodbye for the day. I immediately started shoveling the food down my throat. If this is how the mornings are around here maybe I will start staying the night with Alice more.

"Alright everyone be good at school today!" Carlisle called while walking out the door. There were a few 'yeah's and 'maybe's that followed from around the house. He chuckled and kissed Esme goodbye before the door shut behind him. Esme snatched my empty plate right as I finished so I wouldn't get up to wash it.

"Esme that's no fair! After all you did cook everything! The least I can do is clean up after myself."

"Oh we have a family rule that you're not allowed near the sink to wash dishes anymore." Alice whispered to me. "It's probably for the best." I grimaced at the memory of what happened last time I tried to wash a dish here. That was unpleasant. But it did lead me to being happy with Alice now so it all worked out in the end.

"Fine." I grumbled. Just then the doorbell rang loudly.

"I got it!" Emmett called since he was closest to the door at the time. "Probably a package or something. Alice didn't you order some lingerie?"

"EMMETT!" She yelled at him angrily and I started choking with laughter. "Come on Bella. We need to shower before school." Alice took my hand to lead me upstairs while I was still laughing uncontrollably. We had gotten to the first step before I stopped dead in my tracks, hearing Emmett's strained voice.

"Well, hello Edward."

* * *

 **A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Gasp! Oh no! Stay tuned for the next episode of "Four Walls" by yours truly. Yeah I don't know. I've been in a really good weird mood lately. :D  
**


	30. Get Away From It All

**Chapter 30: Get Away From It All **

**Bella POV:**

"Bella no!" Alice grabbed my waist harshly, to stop me from lunging. Why did she stop me? As if reading my mind, she whispered quietly into my ear. "He wants to apologize. Also I don't think Esme would be too happy if you wolfed out in the middle of her house." I didn't realize how badly I was shaking until she pointed that out. I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down slightly. But I couldn't get the image of Edward hitting my mate out of my mind. A deep growl was coming from me, Alice just kept running her hand soothingly across my back with one hand firmly pressed on my wait to hold me in place.

"Well? Go on then!" My already small patience with the man before me was wearing thin.

"Oh! Yes of course I'm sorry." He jumped in surprise at my outburst. Edward was eyeing how Alice and I were positioned, but kept a very wary eye on me. For good reason. I was ready to go. "I wanted to apologize for what I said and how I acted when I found out about Bella. If I'm being completely honest, I acted out of jealousy. But I've spent some time thinking and realized how immature it was. I'm sorry." Although his words sounded sincere, I was still on edge. Alice made a move to reach out for his extended hand but I stopped her. My growling was getting louder and Emmett was contemplating the two of us. Everything about Edward was making me incredibly agitated, I did not want my mate near him at all.

"Bella he's being honest." Jasper's voice called from behind me as he put a hand on my shoulder. Alice squeezed my hand assuredly and reached over to shake Edward's. He then turned to face me with his hand extended.

"I will take your apology into account, but I will not shake your hand." He nodded understandingly at my words and went to greet the rest of his family.

"Hey. He's not going to hurt us ok. Everything will be fine." Alice had turned her attention back to me, trying to calm me down.

"You couldn't have given us a little warning sis?" Emmett asked while rubbing his knuckles, watching Edward like a hawk. I had a sudden rush of gratitude towards Emmett for taking this seriously.

"Sorry. Being around Bella so much messes with my visions a bit. Not that I'm complaining!" She looked horrified at what she said. My pixie was so concerned about not insulting me. I'd smile if I could at the moment. Still sensing my tension she led me upstairs. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The shower was not calming me down like it usually did. I felt exposed and on edge with him in the house.

"Maybe we should stay at your place tonight. How does that sound?" Alice asked while washing my hair. She loved doing that for some reason, and my stupid wolf loved when she touched my hair. It was quite embarrassing when a purr would let slip sometimes. But it wasn't nearly as relaxing this morning. I merely nodded to her question. She sighed and continued her work.

I dressed quickly, wanting to get out of this house as fast as I could. Alice and I didn't say much on the way to school and we parted ways awkwardly when it was time for class. Jasper kept stealing worried glances at me during the lecture. My knee was bouncing up and down in aggravation. I needed a smoke. I haven't needed to smoke in weeks. There was no way in hell I could stay here for the next six hours, especially with Edward's return. So as soon as the bell rang, I bolted. Abandoning my car and going for the forest to run off some steam.

 **Alice POV:**

"What do you mean you haven't seen her since first period?" I yelled angrily at Jasper. Apparently my mate was missing and everyone had failed to inform me.

"She looked really on edge Alice." Jasper said while sending a wave of calmness as me. I waved my hand around trying to fan it away like a bad smell. "Sorry. Look she probably had to phase or something. Carlisle said it's really hard for wolves to be near a known enemy. I'm sure she's fine. She knows how to handle herself remember?" Right. She is strong, I do forget that. But her control around me is always so perfect that I forget she could easily beat me in a fight. Hell she beat Emmett. And here I am destroying her back in one night. What restraint I have.

But still, she's my mate. I'm allowed to worry about her. My eyes scanned the lunch room once again, hoping that Bella would magically appear this time. But no luck.

"Dammit! Well I can't stay here then. I'm going to lose my freaking mind!" My siblings tried to protest, but they knew how stubborn I could be. Edward was looking particularly guilty and he wasn't my favorite person today with how Bella has been, so I rounded on him. "You! You should be feeling guilty. If you hadn't been such a dumb ass then none of this would have happened!" And with that, I left.

I followed Bella's scent deep into the forest. Luckily my mate connection made her scent much stronger to _my_ nose. Eventually I found my little, well not so little, wolf sitting next to a small creek. Her presence immediately melted away my worry. I approached her slowly, letting her know of my company. The second I sat down by her side, her tail started wagging and she plopped her head onto my lap. I giggled and stroked her head lovingly.

"What am I going to do with you?" I whispered and lightly butted my head against hers. She responded by licking my face. "Ew! Bella that's so gross!" I pushed her head away from mine while wiping my face and laughing. "You know, I was really worried about you?" I looked at her seriously. Her eyes fell downcast and she whined pathetically. "Just don't scare me like that again ok? Next time send me a text or something. Anything really." She nodded and whined more until I continued petting her head again, letting her know she was forgiven.

We sat there for while in peace and quiet. Bella had actually fallen asleep with her head in my lap. She looked so serene that I decided not to wake her for a while. I just watched my little wolf sleep on me and continued to stroke her soft fur. But eventually I had to wake her up and we had to go back to reality. She got up and stretched her limbs from slumber. We started walking slowly back to where Bella's house was. Apparently wolf Bella was very clingy and grabbed my shirt with her teeth to pull me closer towards her.

"You better not have ripped this shirt." I laughed and continued walking right next to her side for the rest of the way. What started out as a pretty stressful morning, turned into a rather enjoyable evening.


	31. Paranoia

**A/N: Alright please pardon the multiple POV switches in this chapter, I know it gets annoying for lots in one chapter, but you'll see why I did it. Also I added a new POV for this chapter. Gasp! It just made a lot more sense for this chapter and you'll see why. But yes I will be sticking to Alice and Bella mostly. It builds characters and makes things less complex for the reader and writer. Unless I have another situation like this where it just makes sense. You'll see. Anyways, happy reading. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 31:** **Paranoia**

 **Bella POV:**

"Good morning sleepy head." A beautiful voice whispered in my ear to wake me up. "You have to get up for school." Ugh. School. I groaned and rolled away from Alice. "Really? You think that's going to work?" Well no, but there's always a chance. My devious girlfriend silently moved on top of me and whispered seductively into my ear. "Well it's nottttt…."

Oh god ignore her. This is just what she wants. Alice started tugging on my earlobe with her teeth while her hands snaked up my abdomen, inching closer and closer to dangerous territory. No Bella. She wants to get you hot and bothered because she knows it will get you up. Be strong!

But my strength went out the window when her fingers teased my nipples. Ah fuck it. A growl erupted from my chest and I had her flipped under me in an instant. She smiled with her success.

"I knew I could get you up."

"Oh pipe down." And I covered her smile with my hungry lips. She let me continue my musings for only a minute or two before pushing me off. "Aw come on! You can't start something without intentions to finish it!"

"We'll be late. And we both already missed school yesterday. Besides, didn't you get enough last night?" A smirk spread across my face while I thought of the activities of last night.

"Uhhhh. No….." I whined pitifully. She scoffed and rolled her eyes at me. "You are dating a hybrid you know."

"Unfortunately yes. A very horny hybrid." I shrugged, unashamed by the comment. She chuckled and threw me a pair of jeans. "Get dressed you."

"Ugh fine! You used to be fun lady."

"And you used to be all young and innocent. Now look at us."

"Hey don't hate the player, hate the game."

The rest of the morning was pretty rushed to get to school. I kissed Alice goodbye privately in my car before we parted for most of the day. My day sucked without Alice. I was thinking about coming out publicly just so I could kiss her and hold her hand in the hall. We rarely ever see each other during the school day, so I make it a habit to meet her at her locker between periods. Even if I see her for just a few seconds, it pushes me through the next hour. So after the bell signaled for the end of first period, I immediately made my way towards her locker. She had beaten me to it and smiled widely when I closed in.

"Hey."

"Hey." She grazed her fingers against mine lightly. "How was your class?"

"Boring. The usual." I leaned against her locker casually while we talked. The bell would ring any minute now, and then I wouldn't see her again. Maybe I should ask her to hack the schedule system or something. "Alice do you think you could-?"

 ** _Bang!_**

 **Alice POV:**

There were several screams accompanied with the sudden loud noise. My years of experience in high school told me that someone's top locker hinges had rusted off and it had fallen down dramatically to its end. I was about to tell everyone freaking out that, but my mind was in a sudden panic.

Bella had grabbed me harshly and shoved me behind her against the locker. One of her hands was digging painfully into my side while another was reaching for her gun tucked behind her. Oh my god she's gone into threat mode. Luckily some teachers came out and told everyone it was just a locker and to calm down. All the students did, some even laughed at their own hysterics. I thought this would make Bella relax, but she seemed to be in some sort of trance. Just like near the movie theatre alley, except this was much worse.

"Bella? Bella? It was just a locker didn't you hear? Everything's fine. You can let go now." She didn't move at all. I was worried my skin may start to crack with the force she was using to protect me. This was a really dangerous situation if she was hurting with me, she always had control over that. Until now. "Bella please! You're hurting me." I whispered in desperation. That seemed to snap some sense back into her. She released me immediately, but kept her hand near her gun, and her eyes kept darting around alert.

"Sorry." She said roughly. "Sorry. I just freaked out I guess." Just then the bell rang. I had to get to class, my next one was in another building.

"Bella it's the next period. We have to go. Are you ok?" She nodded stiffly. I squeezed her hand and told her it was all ok before running for my next class. I was going to be late.

 **Rosalie POV:**

I watched silently as the ordeal in the hallway unfolded. Bella's first reaction was to protect my sister with her life. But as someone who knows the complications of deep mental scars, I knew she was not alright after that incident. I watched as my dear sister left her when she nodded that she was ok. I watched as Bella began to shake violently as soon as she thought the hallway was clear of people. I watched as she ran to the bathroom, I'm sure to empty her stomach. So I followed the woman that put my sister's needs above her own.

Bella was kneeling next to a toilet, still shaking badly, and covered in sweat. She jumped when she heard me turn on the tap to wet some paper towels.

"Shhhhhh." I hushed her as she was about to protest and get up. I know how that feels, wanting to be stronger for the public eye. "Don't you dare get up." I pressed the cool, wet paper towels on the back of her neck and rubbed her back. Living with a doctor does have its perks. Once her shaking was mostly under control, I positioned myself around her to help with standing. "Ok up we go." Luckily she had enough sense in her to know I wouldn't be allowing her to go back to classes, and she let me lead her to my car. Either that, or she was still very out of it. Probably a combination of the two.

Bella didn't say a word during the drive. She had propped herself up against the door, I'm sure it was the only thing keeping her up. Once I parked outside the front door, I rushed to her side to help. As I predicted, all her strength was gone and I had to practically carry her into the house. I did not however just pick her up, because I knew how demeaning that would feel.

"What are you doing home so….?" Esme stopped midsentence when she caught sight of us, looking extremely confused and worried at the scene before her. I gave her a nod that meant I would explain later and then continued to take Bella up to Alice's room. I laid her down gently and pulled a sheet over her body.

"I'm going to fill Esme in real quick so she can take care of you. Then I need to go back to school before Alice goes crazy with worry."

"Rose?" Bella croaked out as I was almost out the door.

"Yes?"

"How did you know?"

"Because I know what it's like to have a panic attack. Vampires get them too. Not really as bad, but we can still get them. And I know the signs of trying to hide emotional scars." I whispered quietly to her before leaving. Esme was right outside the door waiting for an explanation.

As soon as I had told Esme everything, I rushed back to school just in time for lunch. Bella was in good hands and I had to make sure my dear sister didn't do anything stupid. Hopefully Alice hasn't killed anyone yet in worry.

 **Alice POV:**

"Where the fuck is she?" Bella was once again missing from the lunchroom. Now I was really worried. We had discussed giving fair warning before disappearing on people. If she wasn't hurt or in danger, I was going to kill her myself.

"Alice!" Jasper scolded my swearing. Oh give it a rest. "She probably left to get some fresh air again."

"No! She wouldn't! She knows better now." I growled in frustration.

"Al relax, Rosie is missing too. Maybe they got caught in a project or something." Emmett said trying to calm me down. He was right, Rosalie was missing too. But my fears were heightened immensely when Rosalie walked into the cafeteria a second later, alone.

"Something's wrong." Jasper said with his eyebrows furrowed, trying to understand Rose's emotions.

"No shit Sherlock!" I rounded on Rosalie once she was close enough. "Have you seen Bella?" She sighed miserably and nodded. "Well? Where is she?! If she left again I swear to god-"

"Alice! Stop it." She was suddenly angry at me. Wait why was _she_ angry at _me_? I'm the one that should be upset. "What on earth went through your head this morning to think it was a good idea to leave Bella after what happened in the hall?" Well that got my attention.

"What? What do you mean? Is she ok? Is Bella alright?" Now I was really, really concerned. I knew she was acting strangely when I left, but she's always been a little distant in tense situations.

"No Alice. You're lucky I was there and knew she was lying to you." She sighed again and grabbed my hand to go outside. I suddenly became aware that our entire table was listening to this conversation with baited breath. Obviously Rose noticed which was why she led me away. Once we were out of earshot of our siblings she turned to face me again with tears in her eyes. "She had a terrible panic attack Alice. She threw up and was shaking so hard." My hand covered my mouth in horror. I can't believe how stupid I am. "I took her home. Esme is taking care of her now. But she's still really out of it, and I'm sure she'll be having problems later. She needs you."

I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed my bag and hugged Rose quickly to thank her. She gave me her keys and I drove faster than I ever had in Forks to get to my girlfriend. I was officially the worst mate ever. Why do I always let Bella down?


	32. Ride Out the Storm

**Chapter 32:** **Ride Out the Storm**

 **Alice POV:**

I ran into the house at full speed in mate protection mode. Esme grabbed me abruptly before I had gotten to the stairs.

"Esme what-?"

"Alice you can't go barging in there like that! You'll scare the poor girl to death!" She scolded me. Right. I probably need to reign myself in a little. Esme was holding a tea cup and small towel in her hand. Obviously she was on her way to give Bella some tea and try and comfort her. "She's been running a slight fever. For her I mean." She said noticing where my eyes were. The towel she was holding had just been soaked in what I assumed was cool water. Bella already had a naturally high temperature from being a wolf, so I'm sure she was burning up with a fever.

"May I?"

"Of course." She handed me the mug and the hand towel. I took a deep breath so I wouldn't appear frazzled, then walked up to my room.

Bella was laying on her side with her back facing the door. Her breath was slightly uneven and I could see her faintly shaking. Oh Bella. I'm so sorry. I approached the bed slowly and ran my hand lightly through her hair. She didn't respond with the usual content sigh or purr, or even turn to look at me.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. But I'm here ok? I'm going to make it better. I promise." She still didn't move. So I took a risk and crawled into bed with her, pressing my body against hers. Esme was right, she did have a fever. I started to lay butterfly kisses on the back of her neck, telling her I was there for her. Suddenly, she started shaking uncontrollably and I heard small sobs. "Bella shhhhhhh. I'm here. It's going to be ok. Please. Let me take your pain away. Let me take it away. I'll make it go away." I placed my head on top of the side of hers, trying to calm her down. We stayed there for hours while I held her and whispered loving words in her ear. I was her anchor in the storm of memories that haunted her mind. Eventually she pulled through and her shaking finally ceased.

"Thank you." Bella whispered weakly. I kissed the top of her head and snuggled back into her neck.

"Don't thank me. I was just doing my job." A feeble smile crossed her face. Her fever had lessened but was still there, and her face was quite pale. "I'll go get you something to eat. You need your strength."

"No I'm not hungry." She stopped me as I was about to get up.

"Bella."

"I'm not. Please just stay with me?" I was divided. On one hand she looked absolutely dreadful and hadn't eaten since this morning, which she threw up. But on the other hand I couldn't leave her. Not again. Especially not when she was asking me to stay.

"Of course." I settled myself back down against her.

Bella only had a few small nightmares throughout the night which pleased and surprised me. I was worried it would be a ruthless night considering the day. The moment she woke up I kissed her nose and propped myself up.

"Alright you. I'm getting you breakfast before Esme pounds down the door." Bella let out a small laugh but didn't protest this time. As predicted, Esme was waiting in the kitchen with an enormous amount of food. She cooked a lot when she was worried.

"How is she? Is she hungry? Do you need Carlisle to see her?"

"No Esme she's fine. She's doing a lot better thank you for all your help. I just came down to get her some breakfast."

"Yes yes, of course." She brought out a tray and piled on some food and beverages.

"Not too much Esme. I don't want to intimidate her. I just got her to agree to eat."

"Right yes." She finished and handed me the tray. It looked like my siblings were headed out for school. Rosalie gave me a reassuring smile and nod before leaving. I needed to give her a proper thank you later, especially after I yelled at her before.

Bella ate in silence as I watched her. She had gotten used to me watching her while she was eating. Once she was finished, I cleared the tray and studied her closely. She looked much better, the color was back in her face.

"Feel better?"

"Yes thank you." She looked around at the clock in my room. "Oh shouldn't we get going? We're going to be late for school."

"No we're not going to school today. Carlisle cleared everything. I just want you to relax today. And since today is Friday we can have you all better for the weekend."

The rest of the day was peaceful and pleasant. We played some chess, Bella beat me with no effort three times and then obviously let me win the last one. Then we went to the beach for a run. Bella 'accidentally' pushed me into the water, so I retaliated by tackling her into the wet sand. I was immensely relieved that she was feeling better and back to her old self. We spent Saturday and Sunday playing games with the family and reading together on the couch. All in all it was a pretty good weekend.

* * *

 **A Couple Weeks Later**

Bella was on another mission again this weekend so I was out hunting to keep my mind occupied. It still frightened me to know she was in imminent danger especially, when I wasn't there to protect her. But I trusted her, which is why I'm hunting of course. With Bella gone however, my visions returned in full, so I knew Rose would be approaching me soon.

"Hey Rose." I called to her as she came up behind me.

"How're you doing?" Pretty sure Rose was my unofficial relationship counselor. She seemed to know everything.

"I'm alright. Thank you. I just miss her right now. You know, mate stuff." She nodded understandingly. It was difficult to not be near your mate for long periods of time. While a weekend away was not that long, our relationship was still pretty new and everything was heightened.

"Right. Well don't worry. She'll be back soon. Oh! Before I forget, Jasper said he caught whiff of some nomads passing through last time he went hunting. So just be on the lookout." I nodded and sat on a nearby rock. "You love her don't you?"

"Of course." Her question took me by surprise.

"But you haven't said it yet, have you?" My eyes fell downcast and I shook my head no. I knew I loved her and I even knew that Bella loved me, I think, but no we hadn't said the words out loud. While I was ready, I wanted to keep my promise to Bella about her being in control of our relationship. So I was waiting patiently. It really didn't bother me that much, as long as Bella felt comfortable and unrushed. Rosalie nodded again and sat down next to me on the rock.

"I don't want to push her."

"Something tells me that's not the only thing you don't want to push."

"Are you the mind reader now?" She laughed in amusement to my surprise at her spot on statement.

"Well?"

"I don't know Rose. It's kind of personal." While I did want someone to talk to about it, it was about intimacy in the bedroom and I wasn't sure about telling Rosalie.

"Come on Alice. Who are you talking to? How many times have I come to you with Emmett problems?"

"Yeah some I could have gone without hearing!" We both chuckled lightly but Rosalie returned her scrutinizing stare down of me. "Alright fine." I sighed, trying to figure out where to begin. "Well it's just Bella has _intimacy_ issues."

"Ok you're going to have to be a little clearer."

"Um, well there are just some things that she can do for me, but I can't do for her…" I said hoping she got what I meant. Rosalie furrowed her eyebrows thinking for a few seconds.

"You mean….?" Her eyes widened in disbelief as I nodded, biting my lip. "Really? Wow."

"No it's not that bad! I just feel as though she's not enjoying it as much as I am, which she says isn't true when I tell her. But it still makes me feel, I don't know, guilty? Liam said she'll be able to eventually, but I didn't think eventually would be this long. And of course now I feel guilty that I'm telling you all this." Rose listened patiently while I vented.

"Alice don't feel guilty. Everyone needs someone to talk to. Have you tried talking to Carlisle about this?"

"Oh god no! I can't go to him with this!" The very thought made me cringe.

"He is a doctor Al. I think you two need to talk to someone together about it. Maybe it's something mental. I don't know. But you can't just ignore it." Of course she was right, but it still made me uncomfortable. "Strange….." She whispered more to herself.

"What's strange?"

"No it's nothing. Just thinking. I've never heard of this kind of problem, unless…." Now she appeared to be deep in thought and was shaking her head back and forth.

"Unless what? What?" It was concerning me.

"Nothing. Nothing. Look let's go back. It's getting late." We both got up and walked back to the house, Rosalie was still acting strange and muttering things much too low for me to hear. It was making me feel uneasy. But all thoughts of apprehension left my mind when I saw Bella's car in the driveway when we arrived home.

"Bella!" I called out loudly, sniffing the air for my mate. She appeared from around the backyard with a wide grin on her face and I ran full force at her, tackling her to the ground with a hug. She kissed me hungrily.

"Missed you too." She chuckled as I pulled her up off the ground after our passionate reunion kiss.

"I missed you the most Bella!" Emmett came running out of the house and tackled my mate once again.

"What is this? Kill Bella's bones day?" She groaned out with humor while I picked her up again. Her eyes had dark circles around them like usual when she came back from assignments.

"Okay! Are we done with greeting everyone? Yes? Can we head back to your place?"

"Damn Alice! Bella what have you done with my innocent sister? All she thinks about is sex now!" Emmett let out a booming laugh at my eagerness. I missed her ok? Rosalie gave me a knowing smile and then winked while I dragged Bella back into her car so we could go home.

"I really did miss you." I told her while we were driving. She squeezed my hand and turned to me with love in her eyes.

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N: Whew that took time to write. I got some major writer's block in the middle there.**

 **Ok so I'm going to be traveling for the next several days and I don't know if I'll be able to write or post during that time. But no worries it's only for Easter weekend. And I swear I will try my best to write and update if I can. That's a promise. Thank you all for reading and making me smile on the daily!**


	33. So Close

**A/N: I'm back! It was quite an eventful week. I fell off a bike face first into some cement. It gave my family a good laugh while I looked like an idiot. I've had some chapters in my damaged head for the past few days so expect some frequent updates while I wait for my face to heal. Unless my laptop fails me, which is very possible. It's been making threatening noises. :/ Getting that checked soon, can't afford to lose all my work. This chapter starts off with a very small lemon, realized I hadn't written one in some time. And then drama drama. Well enjoy, hope you all had wonderful weekends for me. Oh and before I forget: THANK YOU. Just broke 100 followers and it's blowing my mind. Love you lots  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 33:** **So Close**

 **Bella POV:**

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Alice had asked me for about the fifteenth time since I got back home. She had noticed multiple bruises on my body from the events of my weekend.

"Yes Alice I'm fine. I can't even feel a thing I swear. They'll be gone in a day or two." She still looked upset so I kissed her lightly and cupped her face in my hand. "Now, can we please get back to our reunion?"

"Aren't you tired or sore? I don't want to hurt you Bella I swear-" I hushed her with a hungry kiss that was long overdue.

"Stop being a worry wart. I missed you." My kiss had left her speechless, so she just nodded mutely and grabbed my face for more.

"Fuck I missed you too." She gasped out as I moved along her neckline. My body shivered with her words. "You like it when I cuss don't you?" Yes. Yes I do. I nodded into her neck. And now my little tease of a girlfriend is going to use that to her advantage. She smiled seductively and tugged on my earlobe slowly while dragging her nails down my back. "I want you to fuck me Bella."

Well I don't need telling twice. I quickly stripped her of clothing while biting and sucking on every piece of cool flesh I could manage. She tasted so wonderful, I had missed it. Alice had gotten a little impatient during my foreplay and ventured one of her hands towards the front of my jeans. She was doing this a lot lately, pushing boundaries that she knew were there. It didn't bother me much because she always stopped when I would halt her movements. And also it's best to test the waters every so often, so I let her continue. At least until her fingers had slipped into my pants, at which point I yelped and grabbed her hand away.

"Sorry." She whispered in her aroused state, letting me have the control again.

"No need to be sorry." I shrugged while returning to my previous work and getting my mind back on track. She was positively dripping waiting for me. I really shouldn't leave for so long. Or maybe I should and enjoy this more often. Alice let out a low moan mixed with a purr when I dipped my face between her legs. She dug her fingers in my hair lightly, learning from past experiences, while I expertly operated my tongue and fingers. It didn't take long for her to reach the tell-tale signs of a coming orgasm under me. She started to thrash and jerk wildly against my body, whimpering for me to finish her off. I'm never one to turn down my woman in need.

I kissed my way up her recovering body to let her know how much I cared. It seemed like a time where any other couple would say 'I love you' or something of the sort. But I'm very much a coward. There was a small animal inside of me that was afraid that Alice would reject me once I said those words. I know it sounds stupid, but once it's out there, it's there for good. It's like voluntarily putting your heart on a sleeve in a battlefield of some sort.

Do I feel that way about her? Of course. I would die for her, if I could die I mean. And I am pretty sure she loves me as well, mostly sure, but she's waiting for me to say it first. Part of the reason why I love her, she always thinks of me before her. So my plan is to make it special, something romantic and gooey like she'd like, and I have the perfect place.

* * *

The next day I went home with Alice after school to hang out with her family a little before putting my plan into action. Rosalie kept giving me weird looks and scrutinizing my every movement. It's been kind of freaking me out a bit. But I have places to go and things to do.

"Alice? Would you like to take a walk with me?" I nodded towards the door. She looked slightly surprised but jumped up and took my hand happily.

"Hey Bella can we talk later when you get back?" Rosalie called while I led Alice out of the house. There she was again with that concerned analyzing look. What the hell is that about?

"Yeah sure Rose." I said hesitantly while trying to read her face. She merely nodded and left as we walked out. Well I guess I'll find out later.

Alice and I strolled in almost complete silence, enjoying each other's company. Eventually we ended up right where I wanted us. The spot where our first 'official' kiss was. I turned to look at her face and kissed her before dropping her hand. Now is the time for courage.

"Alice I know you're wondering why I brought you here. These past few weeks have been like a dream, and I can't imagine anything better. I know I haven't been the easiest to deal with." I hushed her as she went to protest my statement. "Look I wanted to do this right, because well it's you and I care about you, and," I took a deep breath, "I lov-"

"Oh my word. How touching is this?" Chills had gone down my entire body at the sound of the interruption. Alice and I turned to face the voice that had stopped our moment.

They were two red-eyed vampires, experienced nomads from what I could tell, both looked ruthless. I instinctively put myself in front of Alice to protect her.

"Awww. How precious is that? The human trying to protect the vampire. I almost feel bad about killing it now." Another vampire had come from behind us. Fuck now there were three. Two I could handle with some difficulty. Three was truly problematic. Luckily they still thought I was human so the advantage was still on my side for now. Alice had started growling from the threat. Crap I need to get these fucks away from my mate. If anything happened to her I'd never forgive myself. She's going to kill me for this though. Oh well, my mind was made up.

I ran hard at the first two to get their attention, and then sprinted fast as hell. Perfect, they fell for my bait. I could faintly hear Alice yelling at me franticly from behind. I definitely had all three of them on my heels now, so it was time for a little action. I turned abruptly and had the smallest one's head torn off within seconds. But that was a surprise attack, now the other two were pissed.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?" One of them yelled while they continued to chase me through the forest. Ok, two enraged human blood drinkers and one me. Phasing wouldn't help me in this situation, I needed the human ability to dodge and climb trees if it came to it. The wolf was pure brute muscle, not speed and agility. But I needed a plan fast, my stamina was not as good as theirs on a human diet.

I spun and dove on the closest one, grabbing its neck. It was almost popped off before the other one tore me away and threw me against a tree. _So close_. I could feel blood trickling down my neck and my vision was fuzzy from the force of the blow. Yes Alice was definitely going to kill me. Despite my injuries I still fought with everything I had, I'm not a quitter. And I didn't want to leave Alice to deal with them alone. But another knock to my head almost took me out for the count. I was too weak to even last ditch attempt phase. The tall male had pulled me up by my neck, panting in anticipation while his smaller male friend watched.

"Guess we'll never find out what you are then bitch."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Alice's heartbreaking cry was the last thing I heard before my neck was snapped sideways and the world had gone black.


	34. Come Back To Me

**Chapter 34:** **Come Back to Me**

 **Alice POV:**

Silence. All I could hear was ringing silence. There was no soothing rhythm of Bella's beating heart to keep me sane. It had been taken away right in front of me.

The hush had turned into rage at the men leering before me, proud of their kill. Their kill of _my mate_. An all-powerful pulse of wrath ran through me and I had torn the vampires into shreds before registering what I was doing. Soon they were very dead, but I still had anger in me trying to kill everything in its path. Bella's body was laying there in a heap on the ground, I couldn't bring myself to look at it. To look at what I had failed to prevent. There was a horrible screaming sound coming from my body as I fell to the floor. If Bella was dead, I should be too.

"Alice? Bella? Are you- Oh my god!"

"Rose there was one back there with no head. Did you find them yet?"

"Jasper go get Carlisle. Now!" I listened to the sound of Jasper running away and Rosalie situating herself next to me after inspecting Bella's lifeless body.

"Alice? You need to snap out of this ok? Carlisle is coming right now. Bell-Bella's fine ok? She's going to be alright." Her covered sob did not fool me. She was shaking next to me as well.

"Rosalie what's the matter? Jasper said…." Carlisle's sentenced had trailed off once he reached the clearing I had just destroyed. "Oh no." I heard him lean down to look over Bella as well, at which point Rosalie could not try to contain her cries anymore. "Jasper, go get Emmett and Edward and take care of the nomads' bodies. Follow where their scents came from. Make sure there aren't anymore. Also check for identities to make sure they're not working for the Volturi. I doubt it by the look of them, but still check. Go, hurry." I continued to lay in my spot on the ground, staring into space. I was utterly lost without my mate's presence to guide me where to go.

"Carlisle. She's d-dead. I can't hear her heartbeat." Rosalie cried out to our father while still shaking next to me. She looked almost as lost and confused as I was.

"I know Rosalie, I know. But I need you to go back to the house and tell Esme what happened. We can move Bella-"

"No!" I shouted angrily snapping out of my state. No one would touch my mate. No one. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Alice," Carlisle continued calmly, despite my flaring anger. "There's nothing we can do for her now. She needs to be moved to a safe place for when she wakes. Remember what Liam told us about them waking up from death. It's confusing and disorientating. She needs to feel safe."

"No! I don't want her going anywhere! She's staying right here and is going to wake up fine! She can't be dead. She can't be…"

"Stop it Alice! You need to think about Bella right now!" Finally Carlisle's resolve had cracked and he looked devastated. His words had hit me however, and I walked slowly over to Bella's body, gently cradling it into my arms. I carried her back to the house, only pausing to cry every once in a while. Esme had rushed to my side immediately, trying to be helpful in anyway. But Carlisle had thankfully pushed her back to give me some space.

I finally laid her peacefully down on the couch and buried my face into her now cold chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Esme tried to smooth out Bella's messy hair and Rosalie retreated to her room. The boys came back a little while later and Carlisle had given them more jobs to do. Jasper came to sit by my side and comfort me. Learning from past mistakes, he did not forcibly try and calm me down, he just let me continue on while rubbing my shoulder.

"She's going to wake up Alice. Don't worry. She's going to be alright. We're all here now." His words held little meaning to me. Just because she was going to wake up didn't mean she wasn't in extreme pain right now. Or the fact that every time she was killed, it chipped away at what humanity she had left. What if she didn't love me anymore? What if she lost the imprint? How selfish of me to think this way. Now I feel even worse.

* * *

A couple hours had passed now and I was starting to get antsy. Just as I was about to ask Carlisle if he could do anything, I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath.

Everyone in the house jumped up. It was what we were all waiting for, but it was still startling. Her little heart was beating once again and I was overjoyed at the sound.

"Bella? Can you hear me? Do you remember what happened?" Carlisle had gone into doctor mode from father mode in an instant. He was looking over her carefully with gentle movements so as not to frighten.

"Huh what? What the hell?" She scanned the room confusedly while rubbing her sore neck. I wanted to reach out and comfort it in a bad way, but her needs came first right now.

"What can you remember?" Carlisle asked again softly. She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds and rubbed her temples trying to organize her thoughts.

"Just give me a second." Bella said while still keeping her eyes closed. I leaned back against my will to give her some breathing room. Her heart was beating at a rapid pace and her body had a slight tremor. But we all waited patiently while she sorted her mind. "Sorry. Ok. The nomads? Are they dead?" Bella had immediately snapped into soldier mode.

"Yes. We took care of them and made sure there weren't anymore. It was just the three of them." Jasper whispered quietly. Bella nodded at his words, still concentrating hard.

"Alice! Is Alice ok?" She jumped up panicked looking around the room desperately. Relief flooded my mind, she remembered she cared for me. To what extent, we'll find out later. But right now all that mattered was that she remembered me.

"Bella honey I'm right here." I said soothingly while holding her hand in my crouched position next to the couch. She pulled me up and held me tightly, taking in my scent to calm her down.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" She pushed me back at arm's length while examining me for any signs of damage.

"No no. I'm fine. They only hurt me, by-by hurting you." I choked out, unable to contain myself anymore. I threw my arms around her body, never wanting to let go again. Bella could live with me wrapped around her. It was an entirely possible thing to do.

She held me patiently as I continued my crying I hadn't let completely out from before. Carlisle suggested Bella take me to my room and calm me there, they would talk details of the day's events later. She nodded and gently picked me up, carrying me up the stairs softly. Rosalie stopped her only for a moment to put a hand on her shoulder. It was her way of hugging her without prying me off.

"Alice I'm so sorry. I thought I could take the three of them as long as they were away from you." She hushed into my hair while rubbing my back. I could honestly care less about the nomads right now, I only cared about her coming back to me.

"Please don't ever leave me again." I nuzzled myself into her neck, making me feel safe and warm. She in return whispered the words I had said not long ago, when it was her asking me to stay.

"Of course."


	35. In Sickness

**Chapter 35:** **In Sickness**

 **Bella POV:**

I held Alice all night as she cried into my chest. Her emotions varied from painful sobs to being livid at me for leaving her. I can't say I blame her for it. I could not even imagine what she went through. So I let her pound her fists angrily at me and then go back to crying again. Eventually morning had come and it looked like we were not making it to school today.

Alice was an absolute mess. Her clothes were dirty and ripped in various places and her hair went every which way. There were even a few twigs and leaves popping out of it. She was almost completely calm now so I decided to draw a bath. I was still covered in dirt and plant life as well, it seemed the perfect idea to relax the both of us. Alice remained still as I undressed myself and then her, still sniffling every once in a while. After turning on the tap, I rinsed us down quickly in the shower and gently pulled the twigs out of her hair. Once the tub was full, I placed myself in and pulled Alice on top of my lap, where she had been most of the night. She immediately molded herself back into the crook of my neck and hummed contently. Yes this was a good idea.

We stayed in the bath a long time, until I accidentally drifted off and my head fell onto Alice's. She let out the most wonderful giggle that let me know we would be alright.

"Come on sleepy head. It's time you get some rest." She pulled me up and grabbed two towels to dry us off. I hadn't realized how tired I was until then. Dying and coming back to life really takes it out of you. I didn't dare make that joke in front of Alice, she'd skin me alive. She can be really scary sometimes. I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Bella? It's time to wake up. Esme will not go any longer without feeding you." I grumbled at Alice's singsong voice waking me up. Food did sound really good right now though. So after a small internal debate, I resigned to getting up. My hair had apparently dried into a mess while sleeping and Alice was laughing while she tried to tame it slightly. I was beyond pleased that she was almost back to her old self. It was worrisome for a while there. But she was now happily taking my hand and leading me downstairs towards the heavenly smells of Esme's cooking.

It looked to be around the late afternoon by the view outside. Emmett and Rosalie were snuggled on the couch reading, Jasper was writing in his journal, and Edward was listening to music in his room. The second my foot landed on the first floor, Rosalie had jumped up and enveloped me in a bone crushing hug. Alice, still shaken from earlier events, started growling at her in a 'get away from my mate' kind of way.

"Alice baby?" I whispered while Rosalie got off me instantly, understanding Alice's actions. Her eyes were pitch black and uncomprehending, staring at poor Rose. But my words got through to her eventually because she blinked and apologized right away.

"Sorry Rose! I didn't mea-"

"That's alright Alice. I completely understand." Rosalie said while waving her hand. She then turned to me again seriously. "It's good to have you back Bella. Don't _ever_ do that again."

"Yes ma'am." Alice was tugging my hand towards the kitchen, obviously needing me to be at full health levels again.

"Alright dear I didn't know how hungry you would be so I made quite a lot. But we can always refrigerate any leftovers if you don't get around to them." Esme said standing next to the most glorious pile of food I had ever seen.

"Oh I don't think they'll be any leftovers Esme." My stomach growled loudly right on queue and everyone laughed as I eagerly tucked in.

"Alice can't cook huh?" Emmett had sauntered in with a grin on his face.

"Well," I didn't want to be mean, but I also really didn't want Alice to think she was a good cook and make stuff I'd have to eat. "She tries hard." My response had given Emmett a laugh and made Alice look as though she sucked on a lemon. I took her hand with my free one and rubbed it affectionately.

"Hey Bella, after you're done eating I was wondering if I could catch a quick word. Just regarding the nomads." Jasper called from the living room.

"Yeah of course. I'm almost done, just give me one second." Alice looked at me as if I had kicked a puppy. "Come on Alice. It won't take that long. And it has to be done anyways." She grumbled a bit but followed me when I went over to Jasper a few minutes later.

"So we tracked their scents and there were only the three of them in the coven. It appears as though they came from the east before coming here." I nodded while Jasper continued his spiel, I sometimes forget he was in the army. "I checked their identities and they seemed to be nobodies. Pretty old, but no major connections. They didn't have any powers that we know of, so the Volturi would have no use in knowing them. But to be on the safe side we will be keeping a wary eye for the next few weeks."

"Thank you Jasper. You've been a great help. Making my life a lot easier."

"Well you're family Bella." He smiled sweetly at me, always such a kind soul.

"Ok are we good? Can we go now?" Alice said eagerly, trying to drop the subject forever from her mind.

"Yeah almost. Alice would you mind if I spoke to Jasper privately real quick?" Now she really didn't look happy with me. I kissed her forehead softly without waiting for a response. "It'll only be a moment." And then I led Jasper outside, out of earshot from my nosy girlfriend.

"Something wrong Bella?" He asked concerned at why I had brought him out here.

"Well no. Not really. It's just, she needs to hunt, doesn't she?" This was a huge concern for me after seeing Alice growl at Rosalie earlier. I'm sure her rage killing of the nomads had taken a lot out of her, and being upset over my death took the rest. But I was afraid to bring it up in front of her now, she was very sensitive at the moment. Jasper ran a hand though his hair and grimaced at me.

"Yes. In a bad way. But I'm afraid she won't be leaving your side anytime soon."

"I figured. Which is obviously going to be a problem. You know I can't be that close to fresh blood ready to be fed on. And near my mate. There's just no way."

"I know." He ran the hand roughly through his hair again, concentrating hard on a resolution. "I just can't see another way right now Bella. I wish I could, trust me. But you have to think about what Alice just went through. I know the extent of what she felt, I wouldn't even wish it upon my worst enemies. Well, maybe a few of yours." His eyes darkened at thoughts of the Volturi. I sighed at the problem at hand however.

"Well, thank you Jasper. For everything. And I'm sorry that you had to feel all of that. I'm sure it wasn't easy." He shook his head no.

"No it wasn't. But you should know how much you mean to this family Bella. I don't think we could be one if we actually lost you." I hugged him awkwardly and went back into the house for my impatient girlfriend. She gave me an inquisitive look but I shook her off. There were much bigger things on my mind, including figuring out how to get Alice to hunt.

The drive home was relatively quiet. Alice rested her head on my shoulder so she could only breathe in my scent. But she could tell something was up when we were settled back in my house.

"Alright say whatever is tormenting your mind up please? Before I lose it."

"Alice. You need to hunt." I said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

"No I don't. I'm fine."

"Alice."

"I am _not_ leaving you Bella. What do you not get about that?" She snapped at me heatedly. I still pressed on calmly though.

"Alice I'm not going to feel alright unless you're healthy and fed. Just like you need me to be." It was a low blow, but I needed all the weapons I could use.

"And _I_ can't be ok if I don't know that you're safe!" Should have seen that one coming.

"I can't go with you and you know that. What if I promise to stay in one spot? You can go while I'm sleeping."

"I'm not asking you to go! And do you really think I could leave you while you sleep? That's when you're most vulnerable! What if you have a nightmare? I'm not there to comfort you! I am not leaving you Bella and that's final." She was quite agitated now and was taking my resolve. I let out a weak sigh.

"Fine then. You leave me no choice."

"What?"

"If you won't go hunting without me then I'm going with you."

"But you can't!"

"Yes, but I also can't sit here and let you starve."

"No! You can't do that. It'll kill you."

"Well it's killing me now already!" She had finally cracked me. "What do you want me to do Alice? Please tell me! You're a vampire! It's what you're supposed to do to live! I get it! Trust me I get it." I started pacing angrily. This wasn't supposed to turn into a fight.

"Just let me handle it on my own!" Alice appeared to be on the verge of crying again. Fuck I'm such a horrible girlfriend.

"No! I can't do that!"

"Why? It's my life!"

"Because I fucking love you!"


	36. And In Health

**A/N: Major lemon alert this chapter. I got two for ya. See what I did there with those chapter names? At least I entertain myself right?**

* * *

 **Chapter 36:** **And In Health**

 **Alice POV:**

"You-you what?" We were in the middle of a heated fight and Bella had just thrown out the L word for the first time.

"Oh fuck." She seemed pissed at herself and turned away from me, running her hands through her messy hair. "This isn't how I wanted to say that."

"You love me?" I squeaked out embarrassingly. Bella turned to face me again genuinely.

"Yes. I do. I'm in love with you." She said while holding eye contact with me. I started to uncontrollably hyperventilate in overwhelming happiness. Bella now looked alarmed at my response, but I ran towards her full speed and leapt onto her. Thank god for her quick reflexes. She was able to catch me and herself while I attacked her lips passionately. Realizing I hadn't completely responded yet, I pulled away as we both gasped for breath.

"I love you. I love you so much Bella." She nodded distractedly and went back to my lips for more. It turned desperate fast, both of us wanting more. "Bedroom!" I gasped out between breaths. While sex in the living room was all good and fun, it seemed like one of those times where a bedroom was needed for properness of the occasion.

Bella rushed upstairs with me still firmly attached around her waist. She was a smooth operator when it came to removing articles of clothing. I had barely even noticed she had stripped us both completely down and had managed to put me back in my previous position. That was impressive. The feel of my center rubbing against her abdomen must have been irritating her because she kept growling lowly whenever I rocked against her. She finally gave up and threw me roughly on the bed, I was not going to last very long at this rate. Bella trailed her nimble fingers down my body teasing me to no end, and began to suck on my nipples with no mercy. I couldn't take it anymore. "Please! Bella please?"

"Yes ma'am." She brought her mouth back up to mine so her tongue would enter right when her fingers entered me. No, I'm not going to last long at all. Bella's expert digits had brought me to the edge in no time, but I had one last request before we both went over.

"Bella! Say it again please?" Luckily she knew what I meant right away, even with the stress she was currently under.

"I love you Alice. Now come with me baby." That did it alright. The aftershocks lasted a while, and I could still feel Bella's body shaking over me dealing with hers. I pulled her flush against my body while she was still having difficulty breathing.

"I love you too. My wolf. My Bella." When her panting subsided, she purred contently against my chest. It had been a long and strange 48 hours. But this moment right here made it all worth it.

* * *

Bella slept soundly through the night snuggled against my chest. I'm always amazed at how my temperature never bothers her. She says it actually helps a bit considering how hot her body runs. Fire and ice I guess. Opposites attract.

After knowing what it was like not to hear Bella's heart at all, it was extremely comforting to have it beating almost directly onto my body. I just laid there stroking her hair in the most peaceful state while she continued to sleep. Unfortunately the stupid alarm went off, ruining my morning by waking up my girlfriend.

"Mmmmmm. School." She mumbled while rolling off my body and stretching.

"We could skip?" I asked hopefully. I wouldn't mind staying in bed all day to be honest.

"I'm afraid not. We've already missed too much. Come on, don't make that face." She laughed as I pouted at her. It was worth a shot. We both showered and Bella ate breakfast quickly so we would be on time. My mood had gone downhill fast when we arrived at school. This was the worst part of my day. "It'll be over before you know it." She kissed me goodbye in the car.

"I doubt it." I grumbled before parting from her. School didn't count against my not actually leaving her side however. My senses to her were so in tune now, that I could hear her heartbeat from anywhere on the grounds. But even that distance was giving me issues. I was irritable all through the first half of the day. Thank god for lunch.

When I got to the cafeteria my eyes immediately went searching for Bella. Her class was further away than mine was, so it made sense that I had beaten her, but still disheartening.

"Damn Alice. You're getting worse than how Rose was when we first met." Emmett laughed as I sat down dejected. Rosalie smacked him playfully on the arm and gave me a perceptive look. I swear that girl knows everything.

Suddenly my head popped up like a dog hearing its favorite squeaky toy. Except in this case, Bella was my squeaky toy. This caused Emmett to laugh even harder of course. But Bella had this weird look on her face, like she was only focusing on me. I stood up right away as she made a B line towards me, ready to pull her into a hug. But she had a much different idea.

Before I even knew what had happened, Bella's lips were on mine greedily. It wasn't a very heated kiss, but it was desperate and obviously needed. For a second I completely forgot where we were. That is until I heard everything.

"What was that for?!" I whisper yelled at her. She shrugged unperturbed.

"I don't care anymore. I wanted to kiss my girlfriend, so I did." My dead heart fluttered at her words. She took my hand and sat us down at our table. My siblings were all looking extremely amused and shocked.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing." Emmett looked like he was having the best day of his life. "I just think you made a lot of guys' dreams come true though." Oh crap.

* * *

The rest of the school day was filled with wild rumors flying around and people constantly asking me questions. I took a page out of Bella's book and ignored all of them, no matter how insulting or outrageous they were. Although Rose did have to grab me before I murdered Jessica, who was spreading the rumor that Bella was a whore sleeping with the entire family. Angela actually seemed genuinely happy for us though when she talked to me in Spanish class. She was always pretty perceptive so I think she knew something was up. Finally gym rolled around and I got to spend time with my wolf again. She seemed pretty entertained by it all, typical Bella.

Once school was out, every eye was on us as we walked over to Bella's car per usual. I don't think I've ever seen her smile as much as she did today. I sat back in my seat as she drove.

"Wait. Where are we going?" She was not going towards her house or mine. What was she up to?

"I told you. If you won't leave me, then I'm going hunting with you. So we're going hunting."

"Bella no! You do not have the strength for that!" Why that sneaky little-

"Alice I'm not arguing this anymore. Can you go without me?" She was so calm was she talked to me.

"No…."

"Then that's it. So we're going." I grumbled quietly for the rest of the drive. She did pick a good spot though, I was impressed. "Come on." She gestured for me to get out of the car with her. I felt like a child not wanting to go to the doctor, throwing a temper tantrum.

"Ugh fine!" I got out of the car reluctantly taking Bella's outstretched hand. But she dropped it almost right away and began to strip. "What are you doing?"

"I'm phasing. I figured my wolf will be a little easier to contain around blood." I had to avert my eyes as to not pounce on her right then and there. Sometimes she was too sexy for her own good.

Once in wolf form, she nudged me to get going. So I started a slow paced hunt, making sure Bella was close enough for my liking. There were several deer I kept passing up though, I was a little worried to be hunting with Bella. For her sake and mine. Bella started to realize what I was doing so she stopped and barked at me.

"I know I know. Alright I'll get the next one I promise." She continued to follow me at a relatively safe distance until we both caught sight of another deer. I looked back at her briefly and she gave me an encouraging head nod. Well, here goes nothing.

I pounced lightly on my prey, snapping its neck instantly. Then I bit down very carefully, as to not make a huge wound that would invade Bella's senses. Unfortunately I got a little rough while I fed and spilled a bit of blood. It _had_ been a while since I hunted. I could hear Bella whining nearby, fighting herself. Shit. Once finished, I leapt up and ran back towards Bella, trying to distract her from it all. She was pacing around irritably, shaking her head side to side, and growling. Obviously in a heated battle of wills.

"Bella I'm so sorry I made you do this. Shit please go back to the car? I can finish with you safe there. I'm so stupid I wasn't thinking about you." She just kept whining and growling at herself. I've really fucked up now with my selfishness.

Without warning, she had phased back and thrown us against a nearby tree, kissing me aggressively. While utterly aroused, the danger of the situation was not lost on me. Her eyes were pitch black and I felt her trying to suck any remaining drop of blood from my mouth. "Bella? Bella are you in there?" I asked a slightly scared. No response. Instead she moved down to my neck and tore the shirt off my body. Ok this was officially hot and extremely dangerous. But the protest I was about to let out turned into a long moan as Bella slipped her fingers down my pants. Fuck hazard.

Her usual gentle and maybe somewhat rough movements were far gone. She was going hard and it was making me lose my mind. Feral snarls would escape her throat every once in a while, and I couldn't contain the sounds I was making anymore. Not that it mattered at the moment. Bella's control was completely gone. Her fingers kept pumping in and out faster and faster as I was coming undone. My nails dug deeply into her back drawing blood, but there wasn't a thought in my head right now.

"Mine. All mine." She growled into my neck, biting it roughly. And that was all she wrote. My right hand dug so hard into her shoulder I actually heard it crack as I saw stars. At least my bone breaking force had brought her back to reality however, because she jumped back panicked. "Oh my god Alice! Oh fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! I'm so fucking sorry!" I was really out of it. I had actually collapsed against the tree in confusion.

"Bella stop it! Stop blaming yourself all the time! I could have stopped you but I didn't. And then I went and broke your shoulder!" We both took some more time to catch our breath. "Come on. That was a really stupid idea. Let's go home and get Carlisle to reset your shoulder." She nodded and followed me back to the car. "Maybe we just won't tell him how it happened." She chuckled lightly at my joke. That was a good sign. All in all it was a pretty good day. I fed, and had kinky hot sex in the woods. Just maybe not the best idea in the future.


	37. Tuning Out

**Chapter 37:** **Tuning Out**

 **Bella POV:**

We dressed in silence once back in the vicinity of the car. Luckily Alice had stocked the trunk with spare clothes after many mishaps, so she busied herself finding a suitable shirt while I put my clothes back on. She did have to help me put my shirt on considering my injured shoulder. I was also demoted to the shotgun seat while Alice drove us to her house.

How could I have been so thoughtless? Being that close to her while she hunted was utterly irresponsible. And then I went and lost control, fucking her against a tree. I don't care if she liked it, it was still dangerous and stupid.

"Thank you Bella."

"What?" I was in the middle of scolding myself internally and she took me by surprise.

"Thank you. For being there for me. I needed to hunt and you got me to. In retrospect it wasn't the best thing we ever did, but I feel much better. And from now on I will feel alright to leave you for a short period of time so I can feed. Also I'm really sorry about your shoulder." Her face grimaced at the last part. I wasn't really sure what to say so I just mumbled something incoherent. "We're here." She chirped lightly as we pulled into the drive. Oh crap. I haven't thought of a cover up story for my injury. Alice must have read my mind. "How about…. a mountain lion got the drop on you?"

"Really? A mountain lion? Got the drop on me? A werewolf?" I raised my eyebrows at her amused.

"Well I don't know. Do you have anything better?" She laughed out. Alice always seems to make my bad moods disappear.

"Shit. No."

"Then mountain lion it is. Come on my damsel in distress." She helped me out of the car gingerly and led me into the house. "Hey Esme, is Carlisle home yet?"

"Right here Alice." Carlisle came up from behind us, obviously just returning from work. "Is something wrong?"

"Um yeah… I-I think Bella's shoulder is broken."

"What happened Bells? You try to walk and chew gum at the same time?" Emmett called out amused from the couch. "Or did Alice get carried away in the bedroom?" It took all my strength not to blush at his pretty spot on comment.

"Oh shut up Emmett. We went hunting and a mountain lion jumped on her while she was distracted." Oh god she is the worst liar! I couldn't help but notice that Jasper was looking very uncomfortable. Shit! He can tell what she's feeling! He knows! Oh no. Oh god this is so embarrassing. "Carlisle? Her shoulder?" Alice must have heard my heartbeat pick up and was trying to get us away from the crowd.

"Yes. Let me take a look at it in my study." We followed him and ignored Emmett's chuckling. Carlisle carefully examined my shoulder for a moment or two. "A mountain lion huh?" Kill me now.

"Yes Carlisle. A mountain lion." Alice said through gritted teeth at her father.

"Alright. Well it is broken. I just need to reset it quickly and that might be pretty painful. So whenever you're ready Bella." Alice immediately rushed to my side and I took a deep breath.

"Ok. Go for it." Carlisle did it quick, but it still hurt like hell. "Son of a bitch! Sorry." I felt bad for swearing in front of Carlisle for some reason. He chuckled lightly and Alice started rubbing my shoulder comfortingly.

"I suggest you two be a little more careful _hunting_ next time." He gave us a knowing look and then walked out of his study.

"Oh my god. I am officially never coming over here ever again." I told Alice who had the same horrified expression on her face as I'm sure was on mine.

"It could have been worse…."

"How? How could that have possibly been any worse?"

"Ummmmmm. Esme could have been in here?"

"He's going to tell her anyways! Oh and they're going to give us the talk. This is horrible. I should have never started dating you."

"Aw don't say that! You love me!"

"That I do." She smiled and I leaned down to kiss her gently. "Alright. Let's get out of here before I burst into flames." We walked back out into the living room hand in hand, ready to head back to my place.

"Hey Bella are you free to talk? In private?" Rosalie intercepted us right before we got to the door. Right. I had forgotten that Rose wanted to talk to me for some time now. A lot had happened since then.

"Oh yeah Rose. I completely forgot. Sorry about that. Alice? Would you mind?" She looked a little put out for a second, but put on a happy face and nodded. Rosalie led me to her room upstairs. I had actually never been in her room, it made me kind of uneasy.

"So, um I wanted to talk to you about something that may be a little awkward. I was uh, chatting with Alice the other day about some issues you guys were um, having in the bedroom." My body skipped the face blush and went right for the neck and ears. Having Carlisle know what went down earlier was already embarrassing enough. But this was a whole new level.

"What?" I was a cross between wanting to run out of here now, and wanting to murder Alice. Rosalie must have sensed this because she put a hand on me to prevent my leaving.

"Please don't get mad at her. We were just talking and I was asking her stuff. It's healthy to talk Bella. That's why I brought you up here actually. Look sometimes difficulties with the intimate stuff indicates a deeper problem. Is there something that you're not being honest with Alice about?" She was staring me down like a hawk. I could actually feel myself start to perspire. Did she know something? Did she tell Alice anything?

"Uh…. No?" It was getting really hot in here.

"Bella….?" Ok she definitely suspected something. I couldn't do this talk. Not now. Not ever.

"Um I just forgot, Alice and I have like a big date tonight. I really need to get going Rosalie. Can't be rude to Alice." I jumped up without even waiting for her to respond. This room was on fire.

"Bella. I'm not going to push you, or even assume anything. Just know that secrets destroy relationships. And the people who hold them in."

"Right." I avoided her eyes at all costs and ran down the stairs. "Come on Alice let's go."

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No. I just wanted to get a move on for our date. Remember? Our date tonight?" She was looking at me concerned, luckily Rosalie didn't follow me down the stairs.

"Ok….." This is why I love her. She followed me out to the car and didn't ask anything about the matter.

I did take her out shopping for our impromptu date. But she noticed my strange quiet behavior and stopped us midway through.

"Let's go home." She took my hand and led me back. The rest of the evening was rather quiet, Alice left me to my thoughts. It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed that she actually asked me something.

"Hey how's your shoulder?" I was in the middle of brushing my teeth so she waited for me to finish rinsing my mouth for my answer.

"Um yeah it's fine. Almost as good as new."

"Bella? Are you having fun?"

"What?" It was such an odd question, I wasn't sure I heard it right.

"I mean are you having fun in our relationship? Everything always seems so serious all the time. I never really get to see you loosen up."

"How could you think that? Of course I'm having fun. I love you Alice. Every day is the best with you." Did I do something wrong?

"I know that. I love you too. It's just sometimes I feel like you're not having as much of a good time as you could be. Like whenever you talk about your time over the summer with Liam, you have all these good memories. You just seemed a lot more relaxed." She looked so sad and dejected it was breaking my heart. It was like a depressed puppy.

"Alice baby. You are so cute."

"That's not an answer!" She got all adorably flustered and I started laughing, which of course prompted her to hit me. "Bella!"

"Ow! Hey! I'm sorry. You're just too cute." She rolled her eyes. "Listen, I was drunk and high during most of that time. You tend to be pretty relaxed when you're not that sober. It wasn't real happiness. Not like I have now with you." That seemed to make her cheerier. She smiled but then frowned again. What now?

"Yeah but you never go out and party anymore. Just to blow off some steam. I feel like I'm holding you back from activities."

"Alice….."

"No. I've just decided. You need more fun. Jessica is having another party this Friday and we're going."

"What? That's so weird! What would we do?" The excited look on her face was really freaking me out.

"Be teenagers! I want to go to a high school party with my girlfriend. So we are going. That is my date request."

"Really? You really want to do this?"

"Yes!" She was practically giddy as we climbed into bed. "Now, go to sleep you."

* * *

Friday eventually rolled around and Alice was bouncing more and more as the day went by. Emmett and Rosalie were both going to the party as well. Emmett for watching drunk people to entertain himself, and Rosalie for trying to get me talk I think. She hasn't tried to chat with me again yet which I have been very grateful for. But she does keep giving me looks that make me uncomfortable.

"Hurry up Bella! We're going to be late!" Alice called from the closet as I got out of the shower.

"Alice it's a party. You're not supposed to show up on time."

"Really?" She popped her head into the bathroom looking confused.

"Well yeah. It's supposed to be cool to show up late. 'Fashionably late' as they say." She pondered my words for a few moments and then shrugged.

"Humans are weird."

"Yes they are." I ran a towel through my hair and followed her back into the closet. "Hey have you seen my-?"

"Middle left drawer." I was still getting used to having half my wardrobe in Alice's expansive closet. It did help to have a girlfriend that could read my mind though.

"Thank you love." I kissed the top of her head and grabbed my jeans from the dresser.

"Can you be my teenage girlfriend tonight?"

"Of course I can. I'm actually a teenager. Can you, old lady?"

"Hey! I'm technically still 19."

"Riiiiight." She was obviously having a difficult time deciding what to wear. "Go with the black one. It looks sexy on you." She giggled and pulled the dress from the rack.

"You're such a horn dog. Hey, if we're being idiot teenagers tonight, can we go sneak off later and do illegal things in the car?"

"Wasn't that already in the plan?" Alice laughed again and winked as she walked out of the closet to check on Rosalie and Emmett.

* * *

Thirty minutes later we were all jammed into my car driving to Jessica's house.

"You getting drunk tonight Bells?"

"No Emmett. I'm not drinking tonight."

"Boooooo! Party pooper." We pulled into the house at what appeared to be peak party time. Perfect. Alice danced around like a kid in a candy store and greeted everyone left and right. Emmett and Rosalie parted ways with us to talk to some people they knew and I went to make my way over towards the seating corner and chill the rest of the night while my girlfriend got her kicks.

"Bella come here!" Damn.

"What's up?" Alice had pulled me over towards the beer pong table.

"We're playing."

"What?"

"I've never played before." She pulled out the big guns and used her pouting face.

"Fine! But stop using that face." She immediately cracked a devious smile.

"Alright Alice, Bella? You ready?" Mike asked from the other side of the table with his playing partner Tyler.

"Yeah sure." Alice went first and completely threw the shot. " _Alice!_ " She just kept the dubious grin plastered on her face. What is she up to now? I made my shot, but so did Mike.

"Ohhhh. I don't drink. Shoot. Looks like you'll be drinking for the both of us Bella." Alice said innocently. Why that sneaky little midget! I gave her a death glare before taking the cup.

Needless to say, by the end of the game I was pretty drunk. With Alice's purposefully missing shots and her giving me every damn cup, I was ready to kill her.

"What happened to not drinking Bells?" Emmett came out a nowhere with a huge grin on his face.

"Your devil of a sister happened."

"Can't argue with that!" The rest of the evening was pretty blurry, Alice had to drive us home. She dropped off a complaining Emmett, who wanted to see if I would puke, and Rosalie at the Cullen house and then drove the both of us home.

"You're sneaky." I told her as she helped me out of the car. She giggled and led me into the house and up to my bedroom.

"Haven't we been dating long enough? You should know these things by now Bella."

"Yes I should." She pulled off my shoes and started to change me into my sleeping clothes. I felt like a helpless idiot. "Now don't get any ideas about enticing me." I told her as she removed my pants and gently put my sweats on.

"Come on Bella. You think I would ever take advantage of someone like that? Even if you are my girlfriend, it's still rape if it's not consensual." Why did that bother me so much? Suddenly all my bad memories came flooding back, sobering me up immediately. Oh right. "Bella? Bella you spaced out. Are you feeling alright?" Alice's voice was calling me from what sounded like a tunnel. No I didn't feel alright. I wanted to be alone.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I rolled over to face away from her. I didn't want to look at her now. She made me feel guilty. Dirty and tainted even.

"Bella? Do you feel sick? Did I say something? What's wrong? Talk to me."

"I'm fine Alice. Please just leave me alone." She contemplated it for a while and they gently laid a hand on my head.

"I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to upset you tonight." She sounded like she was crying. Then she left, like I told her to. I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew boy. Long chapter to write. Already working on the next one. Applying for jobs is really stressful. Hence, my writing till 4am. Yep. I'll just say right now that Rosalie is not going to out Bella to Alice. She knows that's not something you tell anyone. Also Rosalie is kind of hoping she's wrong in what she assumes.**


	38. Thinking Ahead

**Chapter 38:** **Thinking Ahead**

 **Alice POV:**

Where did everything go so wrong? I thought we were having fun and then she shut me out. As much as I didn't want to leave, she asked me to and I didn't want to upset her more. So I left. I did not want to go home and face my questioning family at the moment, so I went hunting to distract me. It was not successful. I sat and cried most of the time.

"Alice? Is everything alright?" Apparently Edward had decided to hunt at the same time and our paths crossed.

"Please go away Edward. I'm not in the mood." Instead of doing what I asked, he sat down next to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Especially not with you." He was quiet for a while, probably prodding my mind, and then rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Alice, I don't like being able to read people's minds all the time. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off, but I can't. But I want you to know that she loves you. Bella loves you more than anything in the world. I don't need to be able to read her mind to see that. I thought I knew what love felt like when I was with her. But what you have is real. Please don't doubt her." Great. I was already pretty emotional and his words brought on another onslaught of dry sobbing. Edward pulled me into a side hug to comfort. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No it's fine. Thank you Edward."

"It's no problem Alice. I just want you both to be happy." We continued to sit for some time. Eventually day began to break and I wanted to get back to Bella.

"Alright. I'm going to head back now. Thank you again." He nodded and stood up with me.

"Good luck." I ran at a casual pace back to Bella's house and climbed up to her window quietly. My original plan was just to wait outside until she woke up, but when I peeked inside I saw that she was already up and silently crying in bed. I immediately opened the window and hopped inside to comfort her. She jumped up from her position in surprise, trying to pretend she wasn't upset. But I was too quick for her and enclosed her in my arms before she had a chance to move.

"Shhhhhhhhh. Just let it out." I cradled her head against my chest under my chin while she shook.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you to leave."

"Shhhhh. You don't have to apologize or explain anything to me ok. I love you so much." I told her while running my fingers through her hair gently. It had gotten almost to its full possible length since we started dating. I needed to give it a proper cut sometime soon.

After about an hour, her crying had subsided and she had faded to sleep in my arms. I continued to pet her head and hum softly. Bella woke up some time in the early afternoon looking beat.

"Hey."

"Hey." She croaked out painfully.

"How about, we just relax today? Maybe take a bath? And then maybe take a walk on that beach?"

"Alice I-"

"No. Bella I told you that you don't have to say anything. Ok?" She looked at me sincerely for a few moments and nodded.

"Ok. Thank you." I kissed her and pulled us both up.

"No need to thank me. Now, breakfast?"

Bella seemed a lot less tense after our bath and we had a pleasant walk on our favorite beach. Afterwards we went back to my place to hang out with the family. Edward gave me a heartfelt smile when we arrived and I thanked him internally.

"Bells you up for some Call of Duty?"

"Sure. If you're up to lose?"

"Haha. Let's go."

"Alright but you can't hog her too long Em. I'm cutting her hair later." I warned him as they got situated on the couch.

"Ooooo. Can you give her a mohawk? That would be so bad-ass."

"Alice if you give me a mohawk, I'm never sleeping with you again." I giggled and kissed the top of her head.

"I won't. I promise. A buzz cut's good right?"

"Alice!" She whined at me concerned for her head.

"Oh relax Bella. Do you really think I would give you a bad haircut? I probably care the most about what it's going to look like." She grumbled and ran a hand through her hair distractedly.

After Esme had fed my mate, I made Bella quickly shower so I could get down to the haircut. I kept running my fingers through it to check its evenness, so needless to say Bella was purring loudly by the end.

"Alright. All done!" It looked damn good if I do say so myself.

"Mmmmmmm…" Bella was practically asleep. I had pet my wolf to sleep.

"Yeah I think it's bed time." She mumbled an affirmative and crawled lazily into my bed. "Sweet dreams love." Bella passed out almost right away. I had positioned myself for the night comfortably against her chest when there was a light knock on my door.

"Alice? Can I come in? Are you decent?" Jasper whispered through the door. I rolled my eyes at his decency question. Did he think we were having sex all the time or something?

"Yes come in Jasper." He quietly walked in, wary not to disturb my sleeping mate.

"Hey Alice can we borrow you for a little while? We're having a family meeting downstairs." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Was something wrong? And why were we doing this meeting without Bella? I thought we decided she _was_ family. Last time we had a family meeting like this, it ended up in our leaving Bella. "Don't worry. You'll understand when you get downstairs." I nodded and carefully got out of bed, lightly kissing Bella's head, praying she wouldn't have any nightmares in my brief absence. I left the door slightly ajar so I could hear if she did.

"Did she give her a mohawk Jasper?" Emmett asked once we got downstairs. Jasper chuckled lightly.

"I'm afraid not Emmett."

"Damn."

"So what's this about? Is something wrong? Why are we doing this without Bella?" My eyes involuntarily wandered upstairs to where she was.

"No, nothing's wrong Alice." Carlisle took the lead of the meeting. "For a while now we have been discussing the future of the family. You all will be graduating soon, including Bella."

"Ok…" The subject was still making me uneasy.

"Alice about a month ago I got in touch with the agency Bella works for to see if they had any positions for doctor open. They did. I have been talking with her commander for some time now. So once you all graduate, we will be moving to D.C., as a family." My mouth fell open.

"What? When did-? Did you all-? Wait this is absurd. We need to talk about this as a family. I can't just make everyone go somewhere because I want to be with Bella."

"Actually sis, we've known about this for a while too. Carlisle asked us all first and we all want to go. No one had any issues with it. The only reason why we're telling you now is because Carlisle just got sent the official paperwork today." Emmett was smiling at me with Rosalie curled up on his side. They had been planning this for that long? Why didn't anyone tell me?

"We didn't want you to argue against it. Emmett's right. We wanted to only tell you when it was final and a done deal." Edward said from his position on the piano bench. My ability to speak had still not come back yet.

"Alice sweetie, is something wrong?" Esme was concerned from my lack of words.

"N-no. It's just I'm so surprised. And amazed. And grateful that you all would do this. Just- wow." Everyone smiled at me happily. "Wow." It was like everything in my life was falling into place. "I love you all so much!" Esme laughed and drew me into a hug.

"There is one condition Alice." Carlisle said while I went around the room hugging everyone.

"What?"

"We are not allowed to tell Bella until after graduation. Those are Colt's instructions, not mine."

"Oh. Um ok." I wasn't sure I could keep this secret from her. That put a little damper in my mood.

"It won't be that hard. Just say that you're following her after graduation. It's the truth, just not the whole truth." I nodded at Rosalie's words. No yeah. I could do this, she did have a good point about the truth thing.

"Alright. Yeah I think I can do that! Thank you guys so much! I can't believe you-" The rest of my sentence was cut off with the sound of Bella's panicked screaming from upstairs. I ran at full speed without a second thought. She was thrashing around, obviously still deep within a terrible nightmare. "Bella! Bella wake up!" I jumped on the bed and grabbed her face in an effort to wake her up. She did, and started hyperventilating heavily. "Hey hey. It's fine. You're fine. You're safe. Shhhhh. You're ok. We're ok." I pulled her into my arms and rocked her head against my chest like before, until her breathing went back to normal.

"Thank you. Sorry." Her heartbeat was still beating pretty fast.

"It's not like I sleep Bella. You didn't wake me up or anything. And like I said before, I'm just doing my job." She remained quiet as I continued to hold her. Esme came in about a minute later with a cup of tea.

"Thought you could use a little help going back to sleep dear."

"Thank you Esme." Bella and I said simultaneously.

"It's no problem at all." She smiled gently and walked back out closing the door behind her. Bella drank deeply from the mug and then took a long breath.

"Any good?" I asked trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah. Esme's amazing as usual." She smiled at me and then set the mug down on my bedside table. She then settled herself back down against me and eventually fell asleep without any more problems.


	39. Silent Night

**Chapter 39:** **Silent Night**

 **Alice POV:**

 **Weeks Later**

Today is the last day of school before Christmas break, the last day until three weeks of freedom. I'm kind of freaking out though because I haven't figured out what to get Bella for Christmas. Rosalie and I are going on a shopping trip later today to help me out. But right now I'm stuck in school trying to think of good ideas for her.

"Hey what are you thinking about so hard?" Bella came up from behind me to sit down for lunch.

"What? Oh nothing. Just thinking. I missed you."

"I missed you too." She leaned down to give me a quick peck.

"Ewwwwwww. Get a room."

"Oh shut it Emmett. Rose are we still on for after school?"

"Yep. You think you can handle being away from Bella for that long?"

"I hate you." They all chuckled as I pouted at them.

"Alice I told you not to get me anything. You know I don't like gifts."

"Well too bad. You're dating me and I like to get my girlfriend things." She rolled her eyes.

The rest of the day passed by pretty fast, and all too soon I was kissing Bella goodbye by Rosalie's car.

"Don't be too long ok? I got some more bath salts and candles…" She whispered lowly into my ear and nuzzled my neck playfully. I giggled and pushed her away nicely.

"Mmm. Don't tempt me to stay."

"Oh I think that's exactly what I'm doing."

"Ugh! Will you two hurry up and break the slobber fest? I don't want to get stuck in rush hour traffic later." Rosalie was impatiently tapping her foot and giving me a death glare.

"Alright. I will see you later. In the tub…" I purred lowly. She grinned kissed the top of my head goodbye. "Let's roll Rose!"

The ride to Port Angeles was relatively smooth, Rose and I made some small talk on the way.

"You two are still in the honeymoon phase huh?" She looked over smiling at me.

"Yeah I guess. I just love being with her. She makes me feel alive, in a way."

"I'm really happy for you Alice."

The shopping trip was mostly successful, except for of course my main reason in going. I still had no clue on what to get Bella.

"Well you got some new lingerie. That's _technically_ a present for her." Rose said as we exited another store. She had convinced me on the lingerie since she was getting some anyways. And I did like surprising Bella.

"Ugh shut up. Nothing seems right for her. She doesn't wear jewelry, clothes are not good enough, and she has everything she wants. I don't know what to do!" I was getting extremely frustrated by my lack of ideas. I'm usually a great gift giver, not to toot my own horn or anything.

"What did we get all those flannel shirts for?"

"That's my backup gift. And also she needed some new ones."

"Ok. How about a sexy coupon book?"

"Ew Rose that's so lame! Christmas isn't supposed to be sexy, it's a time for sentiment."

"That's not necessarily true. Every year Emmett gives me a-"

"Ugh gross! I don't want to hear about that!" She laughed while I plugged my ears and made a face.

"Alright fine! Ok how about a trip?"

"A trip. Actually that's not bad."

"Oh thanks."

"No! Sorry I didn't mean it like that. But really that might be good. Hang on, let me call Carlisle and see if I can borrow Isle Esme." After a quick conversation with Carlisle, who was pleased to lend me the island for the week after New Year's, everything was set. I got tickets for the both of us and a cute little box to wrap them in. Then Rose and I had to make one last stop so I could buy a new bathing suit for the trip. So when she dropped me off at Bella's house, I was pretty stress free and feeling good.

When I walked in, all the lights were out and there were a few candles lighting a path up to the bathroom. My face lit up immediately. She was so romantic sometimes. I was really rubbing off on her. I ran up the stairs, barely containing my excitement. Bella was laying in the tub with her eyes closed and a smile on her face from sensing my presence.

"How was your shopping trip?"

"Pretty good. I got some new lingerie…" I told her while quickly stripping myself of clothing.

"Ooooh. So really good. Are you going to show me?"

"Maybe later. If you're well behaved." She chuckled as I slid into her lap. "Mmmm. I missed you. You smell wonderful."

"Yeah I used that body wash you got me."

"Well I have good taste."

"That you do." She started nuzzling my neck causing me to purr loudly.

"What got you in such a romantic mood?"

"You of course." Her hands began to roam my body in a sensual way. I leaned back further to give her more access as she suckled my neck.

"Mmmmmm. Don't stop." I moaned out as one of her hands snaked down my abdomen towards my center. Her other hand was busy occupying my breasts.

"Never." She said right when her fingers entered me.

"Oh fuck." I swear Bella could read my body like brail. She had turned me into a quivering panting mess in a matter of minutes. Every movement she made was bringing me closer and closer to the brink. She finally brought me over with one last thrust of her fingers, causing me to cry out her name at full volume. I lay back down against her heaving chest with a lazy smile on my face. "Well that's one way to start winter break." Her chest rumbled with laughter.

"Yes it is. Would you care to take this to bedroom?"

"Do you even have to ask?" I giggled as she picked me up bridal style in one fluid motion. Yes, this was definitely the right way to start our break.

* * *

"Bella can I get you anything more to eat? I made plenty."

"Oh no thank you Esme. You have spoiled me enough already really. Thank you." Esme had been feeding my mate all day, savoring every second she got with her. We decided to spend Christmas Eve with the whole family and have a quiet Christmas day with just ourselves. This would be Bella's first without her mother or father, so I wanted it to be easy on her. Esme agreed very reluctantly, but she understood my reasoning. We were currently heading out the door after a pleasant day and Esme was trying any last moves to get us to stay longer.

"Alright you two, I'll let you go. Merry Christmas." She enveloped us both in a tight hug.

"Merry Christmas Esme." After she finally let us go, Bella and I walked hand in hand to the car.

"Thank you love." I said when she chivalrously opened my door for me. The drive home was peaceful, I rested my head on her shoulder as she drove. We got ready for bed and I snuggled Bella to sleep. Besides a few small nightmares she slept soundly through the night. It had actually started to snow outside in the early morning hours. It would be a white Christmas.

"Merry Christmas baby." I whispered to her as she began to wake up. A smile came to her face and she propped herself up on one elbow.

"Merry Christmas Alice." She leaned down and gave me a small kiss.

"Hmmmm… what should we do today?"

"How about… you open your first gift?" She had leaned over and reached down to get a small wrapped box with a bow.

"You got me more than one?"

"Well technically I got you two. But I'm not sure if you'll want one of them." She furrowed her eyebrows thinking about it. That just confused me entirely. What could she possibly get me that I might not want?

"Ok? Can you open one of yours now too?"

"You got me more than one?" She asked smiling.

"Well technically I got you two." She started laughing as I mocked her. "But really this one is minor." I reached down under the bed where I had stashed her gift and pulled it out. "Trade you." We exchanged gifts. "You first." She opened up the package to find the several flannel shirts I had gotten her. Her face lit up and she started to laugh uncontrollably. "What? Did I get the wrong ones? Do you not like them?" Did I already screw this up?

"No. No they're perfect. It's just the image of you going shopping and buying these."

"Hey! That was painful." I pushed her back while she laughed.

"I know. And I love you for it." Her laughing slowly subsided and she kissed me again. "Alright. Now it's your turn." I eagerly tore the paper off my gift to reveal a long, thin velvet box. Opening it revealed a delicate silver chain with what appeared to be an identification tag on the end of it. Looking closely, I noticed it had all of Bella's information listed on it, including the serial number that was etched on her arm. "I've been talking to Sam a lot lately about imprinting and the connection between mates. He said that if one of the mates wears something that is important to the other, it strengthens the connection. You'd be able to feel if I was safe from distances and so on. But I couldn't think of anything that was important to me that you could wear. Then I remembered this." She pointed to the tag in my hand. "This is the tag the Volturi made when I was first processed in, and I've been wearing it around my neck ever since. It's the only thing I have that rested on my human heart and my not human heart." My eyes filled up with tears that would never shed. Mistaking my reaction for something bad, Bella began to babble. "Crap. I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you. I thought if-" I stopped her abruptly with a passionate kiss.

"Bella I love it. I love you. You are so amazing." She smiled sheepishly. "Can you?" I asked, turning around so she could put it on me. She placed it gently around my neck and I carefully positioned the tag so it would rest over where my heart would be. Almost immediately I felt a change. It was almost as if there was a phantom beat in my chest that matched exactly with Bella's own. "Oh my god!"

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No. It's just, I think I can feel your heartbeat." I said, putting hand to my chest. Yes. It was definitely hers. I started to cry happily again and tackled Bella into a hug. I would never be taking this chain off. Ever.

* * *

We spent the majority of the day in bed but eventually moved to the living room to cuddle on the couch in front of a fire. It felt very movie like, with us snuggled on the sofa with a roaring fire, and a snowstorm blowing on outside. The family had called to wish us a merry Christmas, and around the late afternoon we had a surprise from Liam delivered to us over the phone.

He had apparently imprinted on one of his childhood friends he hadn't seen in years since she had moved. But she had come back for the holidays and ran into him at the store, and bam, imprinted. Liam and Bella chatted for a while and she even made plans to visit them in the near future. But now we're reading together back in our favorite spot, I decided it was time for the big gift.

"Bella? Can you open your other present now?"

"Yeah of course. Let me go just get yours too." She hopped off the couch and went to our tiny Christmas tree I made her put up. The box she had for me looked almost exactly like the one I had for her. I was dying to know what she had gotten me that she was worried about me liking. "Who first?" She came back and handed me mine, sitting opposite of me.

"You go." She opened the box carefully and pulled out the two tickets inside.

"We're going to Brazil?"

"Not exactly. We're going to Isle Esme. It's this really beautiful island just south of Brazil, completely private. Just the two of us. For one whole week right after New Year's." She started to smile brightly.

"Are you serious? Just the two of us?"

"Yep!"

"I love you so much right now." Bella said hungrily and claimed my lips. But I had to stop her before we went any further. I wanted to open my gift!

"Well you'll just have to wait to love me. I want to open my present!" Her face fell slightly, but she complied. I opened the box to ironically find two tickets in it as well. Except these ones said: **Destination: Biloxi, Mississippi**.

"Um. So I was thinking about how you never really knew your uh, human life, and I thought maybe, if you wanted we could go down there and research your history and find out about it. I mean I totally understand if you don't want to. I know histories can be a sensitive subject and all, but you always seemed so interested in it when I was human. Or at least I think so. I can't really remember all that well. Ummm…" She started rubbing her neck uncomfortably. I just looked up and stared at her amazed. Amazed that I was in love with the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful and caring person to ever come to Earth. For the third time that day, I began to cry and kiss her desperately.

"I have no words for you Bella. I don't know how I got so lucky."

"I think I'm the lucky one."

"Oh just shush." I pushed her back against couch to continue what we started just minutes ago. And a merry Christmas it was.

* * *

Time flies when you're having fun. Pretty soon it was New Year's Eve and we were all at the house for our annual party that Carlisle threw. It made us appear a bit more social. Bella had been generous enough to be my date for the evening. Esme was out doing herself in the kitchen and Carlisle was busy schmoozing and giving tours. Thank god I have my beautiful distraction.

"Are you ready to leave tomorrow?" I asked her for about the hundredth time that night. I was pretty excited to spend some quality alone time with her. No stress of school or families. She gave me a crooked smile.

"Very." Our flight left around six in the morning so we were already packed. All that was left was the party to get through and we were home free.

"Now you gotta be careful with Bells, Alice. I want my favorite sister returning in one piece alright?" Emmett had come out of nowhere to tease us.

"Oh go away Emmett." He chuckled and moved around us to find Rosalie.

"Hey I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll be right back." Bella said quietly to me.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"No no. I'll be right back in." I nodded and went over to hang with Jasper. The poor guy has been alone in the corner all night, avoiding any bloodlust.

"Hey Jasper."

"Oh hey Alice. How's your evening been?"

"Alright. These parties are always so boring. But I have something to look forward to."

"I know. I'm amazed at how well you're containing yourself considering how excited you are." He smiled knowingly.

"Sorry." He laughed lightly.

"No you're fine. It's quite refreshing to have a little ray of sunshine near me. Especially during this party." We actually chatted for a while, until I noticed it was two minutes until midnight.

"Where the hell is Bella?" I asked concerned. It had been at least ten minutes, and she said she'd be right back in. Jasper's face fell and he pointed outside to the patio.

"I think this New Year's might be a little difficult for her Alice." I looked over to my mate standing outside staring up at the snow falling. I hesitated, not sure how to approach her. "Just be there for her." Jasper whispered gently, giving me a small push towards the door. I walked out slowly into the cold.

"Bells?"

"Shit sorry Alice. I lost track of time." She said with a hint of a sniffle. Her hair had snow sticking to it, I pulled a few flurries off softly. We could faintly hear the party counting down from ten inside the house.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She was silent for a while. The crowd cheered a _Happy New Year_ collectively.

"I just, thought it would be different. You know?" I nodded and put my hand over hers resting on the railing.

"I know." So much had changed in a small amount of time. I couldn't imagine how hard this was on her. We stood there silently in the snow for a while.

"I love you Alice." She turned towards me with a sad smile on her face. "Happy New Year." Bella whispered as she leaned down to kiss me.

"Happy New Year love."


	40. Hold Me Closer

**A/N: Major lemon alert again. Basically a sexcation ahead. But I'll keep it interesting. And fluffy of course.**

 **Chapter 40:** **Hold Me Closer**

 **Bella POV:**

"Babe, we're landing." Alice was shaking me gently. I had apparently fallen asleep on the flight over to Brazil.

"Already?"

"Yep. Come on silly." She took my hand and led me off the plane. It was summer time in Brazil, so we were hit with a wave of heat and humidity. Alice's cool hand felt lovely against my palm. Once we got our bags, we headed towards the port for a chartered boat. I watched her expertly steer through the waves. She was absolutely stunning, and I was getting more and more excited about our alone time. "We're here!" We had pulled up on the most beautiful beach, I could see a small path to a one story house on the island.

"It's perfect." She started to skip as she led me along towards the house. After giving me a small tour, Alice leaned into my body and whispered in her most sultry tone.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" Alice and I have been together for long enough now that she is starting to be able to sense when I'm aroused. Which always makes her aroused of course and things get very heated very fast. Right now was definitely one of those times. I just nodded like an idiot and followed her out to the beach.

She stopped a little ways away from me and stripped herself of clothing ever so slowly. Yes she knew exactly what she was doing to me. I was actually surprised there wasn't a puddle of drool forming beneath me. Without waiting for me, she sauntered leisurely into the surf. Fuck she was an angel. I hastily threw my clothes off and ran in after her like a lost puppy. Alice giggled when I finally caught up with her.

"Someone's an eager beaver."

"You bet." I growled hungrily and claimed her lips.

While we didn't exactly need to be quiet when making love at my place, there were still some limits. And especially if we snuck off and did something at her place. But there was no need for her to keep her moans down anymore, so she let them out, making my whole body quake. The sensations of the water, sand, and Alice's body against my own were setting every nerve a light. I wrapped her legs around my waist, wanting to feel more of her. We stayed in the water for some time, but eventually I carried her back into the expansive bedroom to finish what we had started.

I laid her down gently on the bed and started kissing everywhere on her body. This was a moment that was to be savored for every second, and I planned on doing that exactly. I worked my way up from her ankle to her inner thigh, skipping where she wanted me most, and back all the way up her abdomen and chest. She was mewling desperately like a cat and kept running her fingers along my scalp and back. I started my way back down her body, this time lightly nipping at the sensitive skin, once again skipping over where I was needed.

"Bellaaaaaa." She ground out agitated. I smirked at my victory. "Please?"

"Please what?" I whispered innocently into her ear and then pulling it gently with my teeth. She started growling lowly, sending vibrations into my body.

"Do you want me to break your shoulder again?" Her eyes were considerably darker and she looked almost scary.

"Just tell me what you want love. Your wish is my command." I took the opportunity to graze my thigh into her middle. She responded immediately by jerking her hips up for the friction. But I didn't move an inch, enjoying her desperation.

"You!" She gasped out, barely able to breathe. "I need you. Now."

"Well why didn't you say so?" I asked, before pushing my fingers into her. She moaned out my name and dug her nails into my scalp as I went to kiss her.

"Harder." I complied, not worrying about any noises she would make. I steadily increased my pace and moved down to suckle her breasts. Her breaths were coming out in uneven bursts and she was trembling more than ever. I was getting pretty close and it made me pleased that she was too. So I added a third finger for good measure. That did the trick. I accidentally bit her nipple a little too hard when I came with her, but she didn't seem to mind.

I laid on top of her in a heaving mess. Damn humidity made me sweatier than usual, but Alice merely giggled breathlessly and licked some off my skin.

"You taste so sweet." I grinned and peeled myself off her body, rolling to the side. She positioned her head on my chest, effectively cooling me down instantly. I let out a content sigh.

"I could get used to this."

"Hmmm. Me too." She snuggled into my whole body and began to hum like she always did to help me fall asleep. I listened to her peacefully and faded into a comfortable slumber.

* * *

The sound and smell of cooking bacon woke me up the next morning. For a second there I thought I was back at the Cullen house and Esme was making me breakfast. But then I heard the soothing sound of waves crashing just outside. Oh yeah. Wait who was making breakfast? I rolled out of bed, grabbing some sweats and a tank that were laying out for me, and wandered into the kitchen.

Alice was wearing one of my flannels and cooking up a storm. I leaned against the doorway and watched the glorious site in front of me. A lopsided grin took over my face. She was humming and swaying her hips while moving from pan to pan. Eventually she turned and caught site of me in the doorway, gasping in surprise.

"How long have you been spying on me?"

"Long enough to enjoy the view." She smiled as I walked over and kissed her.

"Good morning."

"Good morning love. What's all this?" I asked, pointing to the breakfast array she was busy making.

"Well, I have been secretly working with Esme tirelessly so I can cook for you this trip. So….." She piled a bunch of food she made onto a plate and handed it to me. "Bon appetit."

"You are, the most amazing woman." Everything tasted fantastic, I could tell she put a lot of effort into learning this skill. "I love you so much."

"Ah. I always knew the way to your heart was through that stomach of yours." She giggled and kissed my nose. "So I thought we could go exploring today. There's a really stunning waterfall on the island if you want to go."

"It's a date." She let me finish breakfast and then we hopped in the shower quickly. Well maybe not so quickly, things got a little handsy. But eventually we made it out to the waterfall in amazing time. Alice was right, it was stunning.

"I told you."

"Yes you did." We laid out in the sun for a while, and I watched her skin dazzle like diamonds. The truth is, I've been thinking about proposing to her for some time now. Just like with telling her I loved her, it took time to wrap my head around it. But I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. I bought the ring a while back though. I'm going to ask Carlisle for her hand. Yeah it sounds cliché, but I think she'd like that. It wasn't going to happen this trip, but I still couldn't help smiling, thinking about spending the rest of my life with this woman. And the rest of both our lives were forever.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Just thinking about how much I love you." She rolled her eyes and grinned.

"You are so cheesy. Are you ready to head back? I can give you a massage…"

"I think I love you more." Hey, I'm on vacation. The rest of the evening was spent in the same manner as the night before. There was a reason why I packed so little clothes for this trip.

* * *

 **Alice POV:**

Bella was currently in a deep slumber after another amazing night. I watched her for a while and then decided now was the perfect time to hunt before she woke up. I wrote a quick note just in case she did wake, and quietly walked out the open doors.

My hunt was pretty successful, considering the island wildlife. It only took around an hour and a half for the whole hunt. On the way back I started to feel a little uneasy, I clutched at the tag around my neck. My pace quickened.

I could tell something was wrong right when I entered the house. The sheets were in complete disarray and Bella was not in sight. I followed her scent to the bathroom. There she was, resting her head against the toilet seat, covered in sweat, and had obviously just been violently throwing up.

"Oh Bella." I leaned down to comfort her.

"Nightmare." She explained between heavy breaths. Every once in a while she got a _really_ bad nightmare that would upset her stomach for some time. Dammit. It had to happen during my brief hunt? I grabbed a hand towel and dampened it with cool water, applying it to the back of her neck.

"Shhhhh. I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"Don't be stupid Alice. You had to hunt." We stayed there until the sun started to rise. Eventually her stomach settled and temperature went back to normal.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" I asked while helping her up and leading her back into bed.

"No, I'm good thank you." She could barely keep her eyes open.

"Are you sure?" I really didn't want to neglect my mate.

"Yes. I think I just need some sleep. I'll eat later, promise." She added for my benefit. Bella passed out almost right when her head hit the pillow. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that she woke for the day. I made a rather large lunch to cheer her up. She was still feeling bad about the events earlier, I don't know why. Bella always felt guilty after her nightmares for some reason.

"Want to play some chess today? Or maybe a bath?" I wanted to brighten her mood somehow. She just mumbled incoherently. "Bella come on. So you had a nightmare. You can't let this ruin our day."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright. Now finish eating and we'll get in that tub." I kissed the top of her head as she nodded. The rest of the day turned out pretty well actually. We took a relaxing bath, Bella beat me in chess several times and obviously let me win a few, and then I fed her strawberries after dinner. I wanted to stay here forever. Right now she was peacefully sleeping in my arms.

I had faded into a tranquil state listening to her relaxed heartbeat. But suddenly her heart went skyrocketing and she started to mumble and thrash around. Thank god I was here for this one.

"Bella. Bella wake up. It's just a nightmare." Her mumbling turned to panicked shouting, it was getting worse. "Bella! Hey I need you to wake up." I finally had to grab her face like I did before to wake her up. She was pretty badly shaken, and sat with her head between her knees trying to calm down. But instead of it helping like usual, she just started shaking harder and sob lightly. "Shhhhh. I'm right here ok? It's ok. Everything is alright. Shhhhhh." I pressed up against her back to soothe her in any way.

"I'm sorry."

"You gotta stop saying that Bells. Come here." I turned her around and held her face between my hands. "I love you. You are stuck with me. That means I have the privilege of taking care of you. Ok? And it's my pleasure to do so." She nodded, still tense. Desperate measures needed to be taken. I kissed her heatedly, trying to put her mind somewhere else. At first she wasn't super responsive, but after I maneuvered my tongue into her mouth, she awoke with fire. Bella moaned hungrily and let me take control. I pushed her back against the mattress and straddled her waist.

There were very few times that Bella let me take control like this, so I took it seriously. I never went over the line when given this opportunity. I loved watching her come undone underneath me. Luckily we were already naked, so there was no time to waste. I knew what I wanted to do, but we had only done it a couple times. My eyes made contact with hers, silently asking permission. She sat up and placed her hands on my hips, letting me know it was ok.

I carefully positioned myself so our sexes were touching, Bella let out a groan from the sensation. Burrowing one of my hands in her hair, and the other braced on the bed, I thrusted my hips forward into her.

"Fuck!" Bella swore out loud. Fuck was right. We needed to do this more often. I kept a slow pace, Bella's hands keeping me steady. She started to perspire lightly which let me know she was getting close. I upped my game and increased my speed. Now she began to pant in an effort to hold out longer. I don't know why she always insisted on trying to do that. Time and time again I have told her I enjoy it more when she lets herself go.

"Come with me babe. Please." Her whole body was coated in sweat now. She nodded at my words, so I gave my hips one last good push and watched the scene before me. Bella cried out and shook uncontrollably. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed back onto the bed, breathless. I rode out my own orgasm and laid down on her chest, listening to her wildly beating heart. Except now it was a good thing.

"Thank you." She huffed out, kissing the top of my head. I smiled and propped my head up to look at her. My mission was accomplished.

"Any time. Like I said, the pleasure is mine." Bella let out a gruff laugh.

"We need to do that more often."

"My thoughts exactly." I put my head back down and hummed gently, making her fall asleep in no time.

* * *

The rest of our vacation went by much too fast for my liking. All too soon we were packed and taking care of last minutes things before leaving. Bella never stopped amazing me though. My mouth almost fell to the floor when she conversed flawlessly in Portuguese with the house keepers.

"Are you real?" I asked her when she looked at me afterwards.

"Umm. I think so." We both chuckled as she led me to the boat. "You ready?"

"Ugh. No. You do realize we have school when we get back?"

"I'm afraid so. But unfortunately it's in the job description."

"Yeah well, I don't like it." I grumbled annoyed. My cell suddenly rang loudly. My family was calling. That's weird. Everyone knew we were on vacation and not to bother us. I answered and put it on speaker. "Hey. I have Bella here, what's up?"

"Alice?" It was Jasper on the other end. "You guys are heading home today right?"

"Yeah Jasper. We're getting on the boat right now. Is something wrong?" He sounded concerned.

"Well, yeah. Just hurry home quick. We kind of have a situation going on here."

"What's wrong?" Bella came over and asked looking worried.

"Um. Victoria's back."

* * *

 **A/N: *Evil grin* Oh come on. You didn't think I'd forget about that redheaded biatch did you?**


	41. Plans Made and Plans Changed

**A/N: Huge shout out to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed. Y'all make me so happy. It reminds me why I love fanfiction. :) My gears are constantly turning and I recently got a notebook to write everything down now. It'll make chapter writing a lot easier. Already working on 42.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 41:** **Plans Made and Plans Changed**

 **Alice POV:**

"Bella please relax? We'll be in the air for a few more hours. Just take a small nap. It'll make me feel better."

"I'm not tired." I sighed in defeat. Bella has been on edge ever since we got off the phone with Jasper. Her jaw has been set and she hasn't slept a wink. I was getting worried about her health.

"You heard Jasper. They're not concerned about anything happening soon. She's waiting for my scent to come back. She knows I played a role in killing her mate and wants revenge." I probably should have thought that sentence over more before saying it out loud.

"How in the hell is that supposed to make me feel better? Oh hey Bella, everything's fine, but a crazy psycho bitch wants to murder your mate. Oh and she has nothing to lose!" Her temper was starting to rise and she began to shake slightly.

"Don't get mad at me. I didn't mean it like that and you know it." She looked at me angrily for a second longer, and then sighed falling back into her seat.

"I'm sorry Alice. I don't mean to take things out on you. It's just a frustrating situation." She ran a distracted hand through her hair.

"It's alright. Now can you please sleep for me?" I gave her my most begging look. But it was a no go. Bella just shook her head and put her face in her hands. It was a long flight.

* * *

"Ok, what do we know?" Were the first words out of Bella's mouth the second we got back. Thank god Jasper shared a similar mind and had all the information ready to go.

"Alright. Well she's been jumping our borders between the wolves a lot. We think she's trying to draw lines and take advantage of where to escape. Of course now that you're back it will throw her for a loop. Really the main issue is that we think she's building an army in Seattle. She started out real slow a while back. The police just thought it was gang violence." My breath hitched. Wasn't Charlie investigating supposed gang violence when the Volturi got him? Bella was staring at Jasper like a statue. I swear to god, if Victoria was the result of Charlie's death, I'm going to make sure it's me who gets to kill her. "But she slowed down once the Volturi were making headlines. Not wanting to draw any attention to herself."

"Alice." I hadn't realized that I was growling until Bella called my name. My eyes snapped up to hers, looking at me in concern. Jasper had to stop his rundown because of the rage coming off of me. I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down.

"Sorry. Please continue Jasper."

"It's no problem Alice. I understand." His eyes flashed over towards Bella, knowing what had brought on my onslaught of emotions. But she was hardened and waiting for him to finish. "Anyways, we think she picked up where she left off with the making of an army. There are more and more deaths and mysterious disappearances. Telltale signs of a newborn army creation. We just need to figure out where they are exactly and then plan an attack." Bella nodded and Jasper said they could go to the study to talk tactics.

"Alice do you think you could watch Victoria's decisions for us? Would that work with Bella so close?" Carlisle asked me just as they were about to leave.

"Already on it Carlisle. She knows pretty well how to make snap judgements. But the moment she makes them I can see them. As long as she doesn't actually run into Bella on the way." I said while giving my trouble prone girlfriend a death glare. It was the kind that said 'don't you dare try anything fucking stupid this time, or so help me I will cut off your tail'. She gulped and nodded at me before walking into the study.

We spent the rest of the evening talking logistics and strategies. Emmett wanted to just go take a road trip and 'kick ass' as he so exquisitely put it. But Bella, Carlisle, and Jasper all agreed it was best to go on a scouting mission first. "Ok I'll just go over and head there sometime tomorrow afternoon-"

"Excuse me?" I interrupted my idiot girlfriend before she said something she'd regret.

"Alice please be realistic? It would be stupid to not have me go." She did have a point. Crap.

"Fine. But you're not going alone. I'll go with you."

"No. You know I can't do that. I would be too busy wanting to protect you and I would make a mistake." Ugh she was right again. It's not my fault she was so damn protective. Ok I am too. But she's the one that always has to play the hero.

"Fine! But you're taking Jasper and Emmett. And you're calling me as soon as you get there and as soon as you leave." She looked over to my brothers and they both nodded an ok.

"Deal."

* * *

The next day I kissed Bella goodbye after school before she left for Seattle. Rosalie agreed to go hunting with me as a distraction.

"So how was your sexcation?" She asked slyly while leaning against my sitting rock.

"It was _not_ a sexcation. It was a vacation. We just happened to spend most of it not clothed." We both laughed.

"But seriously, how has everything been? Bedroom wise?" I was finally getting used to talking openly with Rosalie about my sex life. It was nice to have her advice and recommendations.

"Actually really good. We've gotten to do some new stuff."

"Yeah I don't need to hear the details. But still a no on the-"

"Still a no. But she's really trying to relax more." Rose nodded and sat down next to me. Just then my cell phone rang shrilly. "Bella? Are you there? Are you safe? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah Alice calm down. I'm just calling to say we made it into the city. I'll call you again when we find out something." There was a small commotion in the background. "Ow! Emmett says hi."

"Hi Em!" Rosalie shouted into the phone.

"Emmett you better not be hitting my woman."

"Yes ma'am! Alright we gotta go Al. Love you Rosie!" Emmett's voice was cut out and the line went silent. Ugh. This was torture.

"How are you ok with this? Emmett out there in danger." Rosalie contemplated my question for a moment before answering.

"It takes time. A lot of trust. As much as he talks a big game, he knows not to do anything that would cause me pain in the end. But yeah it took a lot of time and effort." I let her words sink in for some time. A while actually. My hand reached for the chain around my neck. I sat there holding Bella's tag and thinking. I had no idea how long I'd been sitting there until my phone rang again.

"Are you ok?" Bella chuckled on the other line at my worriedness.

"Yeah I'm fine love. We got a lot of good intel. I'll tell you more when we get home. See you soon." With the weight of Bella's safety off my mind, I felt much better. Rosalie and I bagged a few more deer in my favorite hunting spot, and then wandered back home. Carlisle came in from work right when they all returned. I ran and leapt right into her expecting arms.

"I missed you." She flashed a brilliant smile at me and laughed.

"Yeah I missed you too."

"Ok we all missed each other. Now what's the story?" Rosalie asked impatiently. Bella nodded at Jasper to give him the go ahead.

"Well we found them. Victoria was nowhere in sight, probably wanting to reduce her decisions in it. She's using a local boy, Riley Biers I believe was his name, to be the head of it. But they were all so inexperienced. Their numbers stood around twentyish, but they'll be dropping. Newborns tend to be very territorial and kill on a whim." Sometimes I forget that Bella is technically a newborn. She is such a strange being.

"So what's our next move?"

"I'm going to talk to Sam about getting the wolves to help, and then we go down there maybe during the weekend and take care of it. Easy job." Bella said while crossing her arms. She looked pretty intimidating right now, and kind of sexy. Right when I started to get aroused, Bella flashed me a warning look. Shit. Her stupid nose makes my life so difficult.

"Sounds good to me. Do you think Sam will agree?" Carlisle asked with his arm around Esme.

"Definitely. A bunch of newborn vampires on the loose waiting to be killed? He'll be ecstatic."

"Well it looks like everything is all set then. Jasper would you be up to teach us some techniques on fighting newborns?"

"Yes sir. We can start tomorrow afternoon if that's alright with everyone. And eventually I would like the wolves to come down and take some mental notes?" He asked looking at Bella. She nodded and told him she'd work on it. Her being in a position of power was really giving me a situation downstairs and I needed to get us out of here fast. Reading my mind, and body, Bella bid everyone goodbye for us and pulled me roughly out the door.

"In front of your parents Alice? You are unbelievable." She laughed out and opened her car door for me.

"I'm sorry. You just looked really sexy being all dangerous and powerful. It was yummy."

"Well I better drive home fast then."

* * *

Bella succeeded in getting the wolves on board with us and Jasper had given us our 'newborn lessons' two nights in a row. My girlfriend easily kicked everyone's ass of course, in wolf and human form. We were all set to take care of Victoria's pesky army on Saturday. It was currently Thursday night and I was laying in Bella's arms on the couch while she read. I was suddenly thrown into a terrifying vision.

"Alice? Alice!" Bella had gone into a panic when I didn't respond right after the vision was over.

"Sorry sorry. I'm fine. Well no, not really. We have a serious problem." Everyone in the house had come over immediately. Bella had jumped off the couch and was kneeling in front of me.

"What? What's wrong?"

"They're coming here. Tonight." The whole family started talking all at once right away. Emmett was rubbing his knuckles and Jasper looked frazzled. I had just changed the battle plan he and Bella had worked so hard on.

"Why? How?"

"Victoria caught my scent fresh from me hunting the other day and is leading them towards that clearing." Once again, I really should have thought about that sentence before saying it in present company. Bella started to growl angrily and stood up with her fists clench.

"I'm calling Sam." Jasper asked about the exact location and began to plan with everyone. My head was reeling. "Ok they're all headed over right now. Really nothing should change that much. We just need to get ready fast."

"Thank you Bella. Once they get here we should move to the clearing ahead of time. We can do this. There is no need to panic." Jasper said confidently. I got up to go change for battle.

"You're not going." Bella pushed me back on the couch roughly. I'd never seen her face set so hard, she looked a little frightening.

"Pardon?"

"You, are _not_ going." The family all seemed to awkwardly disappear for this, probably changing and getting ready.

"Bella what the hell? We are a couple. A team. You can't just tell me what to do."

"You are not fucking going Alice! I don't care if I have to chain you to this fucking house. There is an actual army out for you! You can't expect me to just sit back and let you go out there and get killed!" She was really violently shaking now. Anger was not going to resolve this. I grabbed her head between my hands and made her look me in the eyes.

"Bella I need you to listen to me. I _am_ coming with you. I _can_ take care of myself. You _need_ to trust me. If you can't do that, this relationship is not going to work." I told her in my most calm voice. She looked to be in pain for a few seconds, and then nodded.

"Ok. I trust you. Just please don't try anything. I can't- I can't even begin to think what I'd do- what I'd do if- if anything happened to…" She couldn't even finish, her eyes were swimming with tears. I pulled her in for a kiss.

"Nothing's going to happen to me. I promise." I leaned my forehead against hers and then took a deep breath. "Ok, I have to go change. I'll pack you a bag of spare clothes." She was going to fight as a wolf during the battle. I hurried upstairs and prepared my mind for the night ahead of us.

* * *

The pack arrived and we all said a few quick words before driving towards the clearing. It was a little walk from the cars to the space itself, but it gave us time to think about what was coming. I clutched Bella's hand desperately. I wasn't worried per se, but there was still imminent danger headed our way.

"Ready?" I asked while giving her hand a quick squeeze.

"I think so." I was amazed at how calm she was. Sometimes I forget she goes running into danger for a living.

"It's game time! You ready wolf girl? You ready to kick some ass?" Emmett was hyped up and revving to go.

"I'll try to save you a few Emmett." She teased at him. He scoffed and muttered an 'as if'.

"Alright everyone! What's the ETA Alice?" Jasper rounded up our strange looking group.

"About two minutes." I wasn't scared anymore. Bella was with me.

"Any last advice Jasper?" Carlisle looked so strange getting ready to kill vampires.

"Nope. I think we're ready Carlisle. Good luck everyone." Bella stayed next to my side as the pack went to phase. She was our secret weapon to throw Victoria off guard.

All too soon my senses we invaded with the smell of many vampires. I could faintly distinguish Victoria's among them. Everyone waited with baited breath in their positions. Victoria led the army to stand across from us with her in the middle.

"I see you brought your little pet." She sneered at Bella. I was going to enjoy this. "Any last words?"

"I've been meaning to ask, how's James doing?" Ok that was a low blow, but I did enjoy the face she made when I said it. Actually fuck that. James almost killed my mate. I'm ready to end this bitch.

The whole army ran at us with Victoria in the lead, eyes blazing. Bella stepped away from me and phased on the fly. With one simple move she had Victoria's head in her mouth. Damn. Remind me not to piss her off. I was confused on why she wasn't ripping it off, but then I noticed she was looking at me as if to say 'would you do the honors?'. Well don't mind if I do. The redheaded bitch screamed as I tore her head from her body, just as I had done to James.

The rest of the battle was pretty simple. I never got near anymore action because Bella refused to leave my side, killing everything coming close to me. With the wolves in the fight, it was a hands down win. Emmett was even laughing maniacally during it. That was a little creepy. Pretty soon we were rounding off the last newborns and checking the boundaries for any strays. Once the coast looked clear, I started to help Carlisle and Rosalie pile the body parts up while Jasper kept scanning. Bella wandered over towards the pack, I'm sure to discuss details of the cleanup.

"Alice!" Rosalie screamed in a panic. I turned just in time to see a stray newborn mid leap, coming straight at me. I braced for the impact, but it never came.


	42. Breaking Point

**Chapter 42:** **Breaking Point**

 **Alice POV:**

I was ready for the impact. I was ready to be slammed into the ground. But it never happened. There was a loud screech and a growling sound instead. Bella had thrown herself in front of me, right before the newborn reached its target.

"NO!" Jasper and Emmett had grabbed me just as I heard the sickening sound of bones being crushed. Jacob and Sam tackled the newborn off of my mate, but not before it had violently bitten into the side of her neck. There was horrible whining sound coming from my wolf and I struggled hard against my brothers' safety restraints. "LET ME GO! LET ME FUCKING GO!" Once the newborn was torn to shreds, they finally let go of me.

Bella had involuntarily phased back and was screaming in pain. I was in a panic. I didn't know what to do.

"CARLISLE! CARLISLE HELP HER!" He was next to me in a flash, carefully looking over her injuries. His fingers grazed the open wound on her neck, it was bleeding freely.

"Alice I'm so sorry I should have noticed him earlier. Fuck I'm so sorry. Bella…" Jasper never swore.

"I need to get her out of here. Half of her bones are shattered and there is a large amount of venom flowing through her veins. We don't have much time before the hallucinations start." Jacob, Sam, and Leah had phased back and ran over. I became suddenly aware of my mate's nakedness in front of everyone, it was not helping my state of mind. Edward read my thoughts and ran over towards the cars to get a blanket.

"Here." He handed it to me kindly and I silently thanked him. I carefully wrapped her body in it, and then pulled her gently into my arms. Bella was still in an extreme amount of pain and was gritting her teeth, quietly whining as I carried her.

"It's going to be ok. Carlisle's going to fix you. It's going to be ok." I was really talking to myself now at this point. Seth, I think that was his name, had pulled a pickup truck into the clearing for us. I cautiously loaded myself and Bella into the bed, Carlisle and Jacob hopped in after.

"Seth let's go! The Cullen's house as fast as you can." Jacob barked in an authoritative voice. Seth did as he was told and got us on the road in no time. Carlisle positioned himself next to Bella, trying to stop the flow of blood escaping her neck.

"Alice I need you to keep her calm." I nodded and shifted Bella's body so I could cradle her head. She had her eyes shut tightly, still groaning out.

"Shhhhh. We're almost there." I looked up at Carlisle as he tended to her. He was in complete doctor mode. Finally we arrived at the house, I picked Bella up again and carried her inside. "In your study Carlisle?"

"No. Take her up to your room. She needs to feel as safe as she can once the venom hits." My stomach began to churn as I brought her up the stairs. I don't know if I can do this. "Alice can you put some comfortable clothes on her carefully? It'll help."

"Don't you have to set her bones?"

"There's no time. I can't do it during, it'll make it worse for her. I'll have to set them after." I started to shake while putting Bella's sweats and a white T-shirt on her. Her temperature had risen to try and combat the injuries. So now she was sweating profusely and the blood was running down her chest from the combination.

"Carlisle!" He had left while I was changing her without telling me why.

"I'm right here." He returned with a syringe in hand. I looked at it terrified. "Morphine." Oh right.

"Will that help?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to set up a drip though, her body is going to burn it off too fast." Just then Bella started howling in agony and her heart was beating so fast I was worried it may explode. "It's starting."

I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. Bella was being tortured right in front of me and I had no clue on how to handle it.

"Alice! Did you hear me? I need you to help her!" Carlisle was shouting at me, I had zoned out. Esme and Rosalie ran into the room at that exact moment with horrified expressions. I was just standing there in a panic, unable to move.

"Alice? What are you doing?" Rose grabbed my shoulders and looked at me concerned. Esme had taken over my job and was trying to calm Bella down. It was too much. The blood. The pain. It was all too much. I broke down and began to cry out.

"Dammit Rose, get her out of here!" I had never seen Carlisle look so distressed. Rosalie nodded at his orders and went to take me out of the room.

"NO! SHE NEEDS ME!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs. But Carlisle was not having it.

"Right now I need you to help or get out of the way. If you can't do that, I need you out of here. You're right. She does need you. But she needs a composed you." I wanted to be with her. I wanted to be calm and steady, holding her down safely. But my mind had broken. "Rose." Carlisle said disappointedly. Rosalie struggled with all her might to get me out of the room.

"Emmett! Edward!" My two brothers were there in an instant, dragging me away from my screaming mate.

I sobbed uncontrollably once they got me outside the house, trying to push and claw my way back towards Bella.

"BELLA! BELLAAAAAAAA!"

"Alice stop it! Carlisle is doing his job. You're making everything worse." Rosalie said pissed at me. She obviously wanted to be with Bella right now but was stuck taking care of me.

"Rose we got it. Go back to her." She nodded at Emmett's words and ran back into the house. Edward and Emmett continued to pull me into the forest, further away from my mate. Eventually we ran into Jasper who was sitting in a ball on the ground, rocking back and forth. That got my attention.

"Jasper? What's wrong with him?" I turned to my brothers who were last with him.

"He got about five feet away from the house and started screaming in pain. He said Bella's emotions were too strong and ran." Edward explained and leaned down to comfort Jasper. I sat next to him as well and continued my crying. I had completely failed my mate once again.

* * *

Sometime later Rosalie came to find us looking pretty shaken up.

"The worst is over. Do you think you can handle coming back?" I nodded genuinely and stood up. She scrutinized me up and down before letting me follow her back. Edward stayed with Jasper and Emmett came along with us.

Once inside, I hurriedly ran upstairs and put on a brave face. Bella was laying down in my bed where I had left her with Esme holding her head in a mothering way. She looked barely conscious, covered in sweat and blood. There was a fresh bandage on her neck. Carlisle was in the midst of setting up an IV drip with what I assumed was morphine. He glanced up at me concerned, but Rose nodded an approval and he went back to his work.

"Alice I need to re-break her bones. They've set in the wrong place. It would be really helpful to have you here if you can keep it together." Carlisle sternly lectured me. I was feeling even worse than before.

"Yes I can." I looked to Esme, who understood and moved so I could take her place. "Hey." I whispered gently while placing Bella's head into my lap. I'd never seen her so fragile looking. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly.

"Hey." She feebly croaked out. The effort to keep her eyes open was too much and she closed them again.

"Alright Bella I'm going to start with the re-breaking. I've started the morphine but it won't really help with the immediate pain. Alice maybe you'd like to hold her hand during it?" Carlisle was definitely still irritated with me. I nodded and positioned myself on the uninjured part of Bella's body, taking her hand.

"Ok Bells, you can squeeze my hand as hard as you want. I'm not going anywhere." Carlisle moved to her other side and we both braced. The re-breaking was torture to sit through, I almost attacked my own father from the pain he was causing. But I knew he was helping and not enjoying this in any way. Bella refused to squeeze my hand and only had enough energy to groan with each new break. I kept myself together this time though.

Finally it was all over. Carlisle gave her some more morphine and left us be, saying he'd come back to check up in a bit. With the amount of drugs in her system, Bella faded in and out while I pet her hair softly. It had been a very long day.

* * *

 **Bella POV:**

I woke up around mid-day Friday afternoon. My whole body felt like a semi-truck hit me head on.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Alice was still positioned behind me as my headrest. I groaned out and tried to stretch my sore limbs.

"Ugh. Like crap. Are you alright?" I was worried about her yesterday. She had completely broken down at the sight of me in pain. Of course I don't remember much after the venom hit me. I shuttered at the memory.

"I've been better. I'm really sorry Bella." Before I had the chance to respond Carlisle walked in.

"How's my favorite patient?" I rolled my eyes.

"Carlisle you say that to everyone. It's so cliché." He chuckled and went to check on my IV and vitals.

"Yes, but I actually mean it with you. How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?"

"Not really. Just extremely sore." He nodded and examined my injured side.

"Well your bones seem to be healing perfectly. We should have you up and running in no time."

"Thanks doc." He smiled warmly at me and then gave Alice a very cold look before leaving. Damn. I was about to ask her about it but she started to cry underneath me. I carefully turned my body to face her. "Hey hey. What's wrong? What happened?"

"I'm a horrible mate! You were in so much pain and I couldn't handle it. I left you! And I almost made things worse by getting in the way." She was really bawling now. I pulled her into my chest and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Alice baby don't cry. Listen to me, you are not a horrible mate. So you had a small breakdown? It happens. There was a lot going on and it was hard on you. And you came back. You're here right now. Please stop crying." I rocked her back and forth until her sobs subsided.

"Do you still love me?" I chortled lightly at the absurdity of her question.

"Of course I do. Nothing you could do would make me change my mind on that." She looked up at me sadly and I kissed the top of her head. We sat like that for some time, until I fell asleep again from the morphine.

* * *

Carlisle gave me the ok to go home on Sunday morning and Alice has not left my side for a second. She's stress cooking and cleaning, and driving me a little bit insane. I hit my breaking point when she made me my tenth meal of the day.

"Alice! Honey, I love you but you're driving me crazy. Just relax ok? I am all better. See?" I showed her the now pinkish mark on my neck that was almost all healed. "Look I know you care. And I know you're still upset with yourself. But baby you don't need to be on me all the time now. I can't deal with that." She bit her lip and gave me a sheepish look.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. You're right. Do you want me to go?"

"What? No! I just meant in general. No, I love when you stay the night. Just some alone time every now and then would be nice." Alice smiled and jumped on her tip toes to kiss me. "Alright I'm going to take a shower and then get ready for bed." She nodded as I moved past her. "Would you care to join me?" She giggled happily and followed.

* * *

 _"Get up you piece of shit. I said get up!" There was a sharp pain in my side._

 _"Wha-?"_

 _"You're so weak. Couldn't even take a small bite. That's what creates our kind! You are nothing! Nothing compared to our species. So pathetic." Caius spit on my face and threw me against the nearest wall. What did I do to deserve this fate? "You think you're strong don't you? You think you can beat me?" Another sharp blow landed on my head. "ANSWER ME!"_

 _"N-no sir."_

 _"You're lying." I could hear him slowly approach me. He ran his cold fingers down my face and neck. I cringed away. Please not again. Please god make it stop. "You know what happens when you lie to me_ _ **173952**_ _. You know what I have to do to you."_

 _"Please. Please don't." The voice coming from me did sound pathetic._

 _"Shut up! You brought this upon yourself. Time for another lesson…."_

"Bella wake up! Bella!" I sat bolt upright clutching my chest. Fuck. I pulled my knees into my chest, panting hard. Alice was rubbing my back and whispering soothing words. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Bella it's not healthy to keep things bottled up."

"I said I don't want to talk about it Alice!" I don't know why I went off on her so suddenly. She had asked gently. Something inside me just snapped at her for some reason.

"Well what do you want me to do? I can't keep saying the same damn things every time! I don't know what to do!" My rage had set her off as well. She stood up and started pacing back and forth angrily.

"I don't know ok! Stop pushing me to talk about things! These are my problems, not yours!" I stood up and faced her now. It was going downhill fast.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we are a team? An equal partnership. You can't just expect to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all the fucking time! I'm here! I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't want your help!" I roared right in her face. She took a step back.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep having this same fight with you over and over again. I can't. I just can't." She had stopped yelling and started crying.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you're trying. I know you are. But it's not enough. Not anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She wasn't making any sense and it was pissing me off further.

"I can't do this anymore Bella. I'm done. I-I can't be with you anymore." She continued to sob quietly and ran out of my room. Out of my house. Out of my life.


	43. The Draw

**Chapter 43:** **The Draw**

 **Alice POV:**

I ran blindly through the woods, pained cries escaping my lips every once in a while. Everything had happened so fast. One second Bella was sleeping, then we were yelling, and then I broke up with her. I left her.

Once home, I ignored my entire family giving me questioning looks and ran upstairs to my room, slamming the door. It was like a teen drama. I fell face first into my bed and sobbed. Bella's scent covered my sheets and pillows, it was soothing and heartbreaking at the same time. After about ten minutes, there was a small knock on my door, followed by the sound of it opening. Only Rosalie would knock and let herself in without waiting for my reply. Looking up I saw that I was right.

"What happened?"

"We broke up."

"Well no shit. That's not what I meant. Edward said you broke up with her? Why?" Her saying it just made me feel worse. I couldn't answer. Rose wrapped me in a hug and let me cry into her arms.

"She had a nightmare, and I tried to talk to her about it, and then we just started yelling and fighting with each other. I couldn't do it anymore Rose. She's always shutting me out and never letting me help. I love her so much. But I-I can't-I can't-" I couldn't even finish the sentence before breaking down again.

"Shhhhh. I know. Just let it out." She rubbed my back as I continued to sob. Around sunrise I was all cried out. Oh crap. We have school today. Rosalie read my mind. "Yes you have to go. We all have to go."

I knew I looked a mess as we pulled into the student parking lot. My siblings were respecting my space and avoided any small talk. Right when I got out of the car, Bella's pulled into her spot.

"Oh no you don't. You made your bed and you need to lie in it." Rosalie had grabbed me when I tried to get back in the car. The boys all gave me pitying looks before running to class. I watched Bella from across the lot, just like her first day back.

She looked like hell. Her hair was sticking every which way and her clothes were rumpled. She didn't glance my way at all. Or at least not that I could tell. Her eyes were covered in dark shades. Actually now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure she's under the influence of something. A small cry came from me. I wanted to go to her. Comfort her and beg for her forgiveness. Rosalie pulled me along to class, also glancing sadly in Bella's direction.

My heart was aching all throughout first period. I couldn't do this anymore. It was fighting my mate instincts to do this. By lunch time I was a trembling mess. My intentions were to throw up the white flag. But of course I couldn't do that without Bella. She was nowhere in sight in the cafeteria.

"She left." Jasper said quietly to me from across the table.

"She what?"

"After first period. She left." He kind of sounded short with me. Did I upset him in some way?

"Jasper? Is something wrong?"

"No. I need air." He said irritably and then left. What did I do?

"He doesn't like how you handled things with Bella." Edwards answered my question.

"What? Does anyone else feel that way?" I looked around the table to my other siblings. Emmett played with the food on his tray awkwardly.

"I don't Alice." Rosalie said supportively. But everyone else glanced around uneasily.

"Aw crap. I'm going to Bella's." Rose tried to stop me once again but I wasn't having it. I needed my mate. Something was pulling me towards her. Edward tossed me his keys as I walked out the doors.

The drive to Bella's was quick. I kept practicing what I wanted to say in my head. Just hoping beyond hope that she would forgive me. When I got to the house, I noticed her car was not parked outside.

"Bella? Bella are you home?" I knocked on the door waiting for her.

"She's not here." Jacob fucking Black opened the door. I almost lost it. "Hey hey easy! It's not like that! Alice I wouldn't do that. I just gave her a ride to the airport." That stopped me.

"The airport? Where did she go? Where is she going? Is she coming back?"

"I honestly have no clue. She just asked for a ride and I took her. She looked horrible. Did something happen?"

"We broke up." I don't know why I had just told him that. But he nodded understandingly.

"I'm sorry. Um, look I gotta go." He placed an awkward hand on my shoulder.

"Ok. Uh, thanks Jacob." Never thought I'd be saying that. After he left I snuck around to the backyard and jumped through the bedroom window. It was unlocked of course. I didn't know why I did it, I just wanted to be surrounded by her scent.

I stayed in her room for a while. Maybe hoping she'd magically come back, not really sure. I raided her closet and took her favorite flannel. Wrapping it around myself made me feel safe. Like she was actually there with her arms around me. The crying started again.

"Please come back. I miss you so much." I said quietly to the room. Screw it. I'm calling her. Straight to voicemail. "Um, hey Bella, it's Alice. Look I just really miss you. Please come home."

I wandered home around midnight, keeping Bella's shirt. I felt lost and confused. Esme pulled me into a hug the second I walked through the door. But it didn't make me feel better. Nothing would. I wanted Bella. I wanted to be in her arms, in her bed, next to her heart. There was no off button for my sobs. My off button had left, and I don't know where she went.

* * *

 **Bella POV:**

She had left me. She promised she would never leave me. I had told her I loved her. I had even thought about marrying her. But she left me.

I felt sick. My body was shaking uncontrollably. The house felt like it was closing in on me. I needed to phase. Not bothering to strip, I shredded my clothes the second I got outside. Things like clothes didn't matter anymore. Not now.

I ran all night, only stopping to howl in misery every so often. When the sun rose, I made my way back home. There was no way I could get through this day sober. I grabbed a bottle of bourbon and a handful of aspirin. Alice was gone. She took my will to live with her. Unfortunately I can't really die so.

It was my fault. I knew that. I knew I should have let her in. Try harder. But I couldn't. It would only cause her pain. But in the end it caused us both pain. Ironic really.

Seeing Alice in the parking lot was torture. I heard the cry she made for me. Being this close to her without being able to touch or even talk to her was just cruel. I barely made it through the first class. Jasper kept sending me sympathetic looks from across the room. Screw this. I need to get away from here. I'm not strong enough for this.

I called Liam and then Jacob. Virginia was the plan. Jake was going to give me a ride to the airport for my afternoon flight. Luckily Jake didn't ask much, just silently drove. I thanked him for the ride and continued on.

The flight was long. I hadn't realized how low I'd gotten until I was considering breaking my diet. The flight attendant was irking me for some reason. I could kill him easily. No one would miss him. It would be quick. I had to splash some cold water on my face to shake the feeling.

"Hey Bells." Liam greeted me warmly with a hug. He led me inside his house and showed me the spare room where I would be staying. "Now, I would like to introduce you to the beautiful Zoey." Liam presented me to his imprint. She was very pretty, medium length red hair, bright green eyes, and a lovely smile.

"Nice to meet you Zoey. Sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances." I rubbed my neck uncomfortably.

"I completely understand. I can't imagine what you're going through."

The rest of the evening was pleasant, well as pleasant as it could be for me. I actually really liked Zoey. She was perfect for Liam. She went home around ten-ish and left me alone with Liam for company. Sensing my current mood, he brought out a bottle of scotch and a pair of glasses.

"I really like Zoey. I'm happy you found her."

"Thank Bells. Me too." We sat for a while, drinking in silence. "So, do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really no." He nodded and poured us both another drink.

"It'll all work out. I promise." I nodded half lidded. The traveling and alcohol were hitting. He chuckled and pat my knee. "Come on Bells. Time for bed." I got dressed and into bed, ready to clock out. But right before hitting the light, I checked my voicemail messages. _"Um, hey Bella, it's Alice. Look I just really miss you. Please come home."_ I contemplated calling her for a second before changing my mind.

Nothing had changed. She still wanted the truth and I couldn't give it. And then she had betrayed me. I had given her my heart ripped from my chest, and she had destroyed it. I knew not to fall in love. I knew what would happen. There was only myself to blame.

* * *

 **Alice POV:**

Oh god what have I done? Bella was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I fucked up. This was all my fault.

Bella has been gone for five days now. I don't even have to energy or will to worry. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. Bella had literally thrown her body in front of me to prevent me from getting hurt. Half of her body was broken and she was bitten for me. I couldn't even be there for her. The amount of times I had fucked up my job as girlfriend was too many to count. But Bella was always there with open arms. She was only trying to prevent any further pain for me by not telling me these memories that haunted her. Oh god I hate myself.

I've left her about twenty voicemails at this point. Still no answer. Esme was trying her best to keep me from going catatonic, and Jasper was still pissed at me. I was currently venting to Rosalie about it. She sighed after I was done.

"Look Alice, while I agree with you on what you said. Bottling up anything is not good for relationships. But what you don't understand is the amount of pain she goes through on a daily basis. When she was having hallucinations from the venom, it was honestly probably the worst thing I've ever seen. No one should ever have to be put through that. So I can understand why she doesn't really want to share certain things with you." Rose made this face that she makes that always has me feeling that she knows more than she lets on. "And Jasper felt all of that. It was one thing to witness it, I'm sure it was absolutely terrible to feel it. So you can understand why he is angry about the why of the break up."

"Ugh I just need Bella back."

"I know." I laid back down on my bed, wrapping myself in her flannel again. Her scent was almost faded now. Fuck.

Suddenly her scent filled my nostrils completely. That's weird. I looked up confused. Rosalie was standing next to a sopping wet Bella. She was completely disheveled. It appeared as though she hadn't slept or eaten in days. She looked deathly ill. Her messy hair and outfit were both soaked. But her eyes were heartbreaking. She looked at me and let out just one word.

"Hey."


	44. A Promise

**A/N: I might have borrowed a line out of Harry Potter for this one. You'll get it when you see it. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 44:** **A Promise**

 **Alice POV:**

I wanted to throw my arms around her and never let go. Kiss her and beg for forgiveness. But I held myself down for her. She looked much too beat down for that sort of thing.

"H-hey." I choked out emotionally.

"Uh. I'm gonna go…." Rosalie said awkwardly before leaving. Now it was just the two of us. My internal dam finally burst. I began to sob uncontrollably.

"I am so s-sorry! Bella I can't even begin to tell how horrible I feel for what I did. I missed you so fucking much. Please don't ever leave again. I'll do anything." She didn't come over to comfort me like she usually would. Instead, she looked down and shifted uneasily.

"Alice I can't just forget what happened."

"I know. I know that. And I'm so sorry. Bella I will do anything. Anything you want." I was just about to get on my knees at this point.

"No Alice, that's not what I meant." She sat down, still not looking at me. "You were right. I shut you out. And I'm sorry about that. And you're right, I did stop trying. That's my fault, not yours. You deserve better than that." Bella rubbed her neck uncomfortably. I kneeled down in front of her, missing her eyes.

"Bella I understand why. You don't need to apologize for trying to protect me. I'm sorry for pushing you." I carefully placed a hand on her knee. Finally those beautiful gray orbs looked up into mine. They were pained, red around the edges from crying. I don't care what she said, this was all my fault. I would never forgive myself for making her feel this way.

"I can't promise to tell you the truth all the time, that's just not something I can do. But I can promise to try, to let you in." I cupped her face with my hands, holding it softly. She was so broken. The Volturi may have done most of it, but I finished the job.

"You don't have to promise me anything Bella. Come here." I pulled her in for a hug. At first she stayed still, but eventually her body responded to my embrace. I felt a few hot tears land on my neck, where she was positioned. "I'm so sorry." We both stayed there crying for a while.

"I missed you too."

"Where did you go?"

"Virginia. Visited Liam and Zoey." I parted from the embrace to look at her properly.

"How are they?"

"Good. Zoey is really nice. You'd like her."

"She's human right?"

"Yeah."

"How is that going to work?"

"Not really sure. They're just taking things one day at a time."

"So if you were there, how come you look so…?" I struggled to find the right word. It appeared as though she hadn't showered in days and then got into a small crash. There were small cuts and dirt on her body.

"Crappy?" Well I didn't say it. She chuckled lightly when I didn't refute. "Yeah. I was only there for two days. I kind of spent the rest as a wolf."

"Really? What did you do?"

"Wandered. Thought a lot."

"Did you eat anything? You look like you lost like twenty pounds. And you don't have twenty pounds to lose Bella." She made this weird face and started rubbing her neck again.

"I mean like scraps and stuff. Couldn't really walk into a restaurant as a giant wolf."

"You mean you didn't phase back at all? Oh my god I'm getting Esme. You need to eat now." I jumped up immediately, but Bella had gotten a hold of my wrist and held me back.

"No Alice I'm fine. Can I just go home?"

"No! Oh my god what have I done to you?" She went back to examining her feet again sheepishly. "Shit I'm sorry. Can I at least make you something to eat before you go?"

"Oh. I thought you were coming with…" My eyes widened at her confusion. Did she mean it? Did she forgive me? "I mean no yeah. I get that. No, I think I'll just get going…"

"Wait! No I'd love to come with you. I just didn't know if you wanted to be around me yet."

"Well, yeah." I beamed happily and took her hand. My family didn't say a word when we walked downstairs and out the door. But I caught a glimpse of Rosalie and Esme smiling.

We had to drive in my rarely used Porsche since Bella had run directly to my house. I went to the kitchen right away once we got in. This girl needed food and she needed it fast.

"Alice really. You don't need to take care of me."

"Shush you. These are my responsibilities as girlfriend." Oops. I mean I would like to be back together. But did she? Bella put her stuff down slowly, turning to face me tense. Shit.

"Girlfriend?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Crap I keep screwing things up!" Fuck I am the worst! I should leave before I mess anything else up. But I was thrown for a loop when Bella's lips crashed onto mine.

Fuck I forgot how good she tasted. How good she felt against my body. I needed more. Bella groaned into my mouth and picked me up.

"I need to shower." She breathed out against my lips.

"I don't care." I grabbed her face and returned to my hungry kisses. She pulled away again.

"Alice I really need to shower."

"Fine! Take me with you then." She contemplated for a moment while I moved my way down to her neck. Her arousal reached my nostrils. Yes!

"Ok." I kept myself wrapped around her waist as she walked us upstairs to the bathroom. Finally parting when clothes were becoming a problem. "Are you wearing my shirt?"

"What? Oh. Oh yeah. I missed your scent." I had been wearing this shirt for so long that I forgot it was on me. Bella licked her lips and slowly unbuttoned it.

"It looks really good on you." Her eyes were almost black with lust. It had been so long since we made love. I eagerly stripped her of wet clothing. She was so skinny. I was going to cook nonstop once we finished in the bedroom. But that may be a while.

The shower was amazing. I got to reacquaint myself with Bella's body once again. So soft and smooth. By the time I was done washing her hair, she was a purring aroused mess. She pulled me back up against her body and turned off the water.

"Fuck I missed you so much." She threw me on the bed and started an assault on my neck.

"Show me. Show me how much you missed me." I panted out. Bella let out a moan and complied with my request. It's true what they say, make-up sex is absolutely incredible.

* * *

 **Bella POV:**

 _"Please! Please don't hurt us!" The innocent woman cried out while trying to protect her children. I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to kill her family. But I had no choice in the matter._

 _"I don't want to! But if I don't, they're going to make it worse."_

 _"Please god! Don't hurt my family. I'll do anything!" She was making it much harder. I felt angry tears well up in my eyes._

 _"I don't have a choice! This isn't what I want."_

 _"Stop stalling_ _ **173952**_ _. You know what happens when you stall…. Would you rather I finish the job?"_

 _"No! No I'll do it. Just give me a second." Aro tapped his watch from the corner._

 _"You have thirty seconds, or I have lunch." I nodded and turned to the family again._

 _"Please. Ma'am. I don't want to hurt your family. But if I don't, he will. Please forgive me?" She looked at me terrified as I asked for forgiveness of the job I was about to do._

 _"You're a monster."_

 _"Time's up_ _ **173952**_ _." Aro moved in, his eyes dilating with excitement of the prospective kills._

 _"No!" I snapped her neck and quickly drained the body, followed by her family one by one. She was right. I was a monster._

"Fuck! No!" My yelling had woken me up. Alice was looking at me concerned, I ran my hands through my hair.

"I'll go make some tea." She went to get out of the bed but I stopped her.

"No. I don't need any tea. Please stay?" Alice bit her lip and nodded. She laid her head down on my chest to hum me back to sleep. "It was a memory. The Volturi used to torture innocent people in front of us unless we killed them ourselves. After a while you give in to that."

"No Bella you don't need to-" I put a finger to her lips.

"No, I made a promise." She nodded and let me continue. "There was a woman, she was trying to protect her family. She begged me to save them, spare them. But I couldn't. I tried to explain. Aro told me if I didn't finish the job he would himself. He had this way of killing people by breaking one bone at a time. Sometimes he'd even leave them with venom in their systems for a while, watch them scream and beg for death, and then he'd kill them right before the change took place." I had to stop for a deep breath and regain control of my emotions. Alice rubbed my arm comfortingly. "I told him to give me more time. I wanted her forgiveness before I killed them. I don't know why I always did that. Maybe if they forgave me, I would forgive myself. Not really sure. It never worked. But she couldn't. She called me a monster. She was right." I finished heavily. It felt strangely good to say these things out loud. But my body wanted to curl up in a ball and cry for days. Alice brought her hand to my cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped without my knowledge.

"You are _not_ a monster. You are a good person. A very good person who has had very bad things happen to them. And I love you. Please don't ever think of yourself as a monster." She kissed me sensitively and rested her head back down on my chest again. It was as though someone had taken a heavy weight off my shoulders. "And Bella, thank you."


	45. Those Few Seconds

**A/N: The humanity switch comes from Vampire Diaries and I'm borrowing it. This story is about to pick up real fast. Unfortunately I will be traveling again this weekend. There's nothing to do where I live. You'd understand if you knew where. But no worries I will be writing as much as I can. It's a long ways away but I've actually already written the final chapter and I can't wait to get there. Anyways, I'll shut up now. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 45:** **Those Few Seconds**

 **Bella POV:**

Everything was back to being perfect. Alice and I were better than ever. I kept up my promise by telling her what I could, and it made us both much closer. The sex has been amazing. There was a week where she had switched to skirts and dresses for easier access, but she had to go back to jeans and pants when it just turned me on all the time. There was a lot of groping during that week. At least when she was in pants I could control myself a little better. Not much though.

We spent almost every afternoon at her place, cozied up on the couch reading. Then half my nights were at my place, and half were at hers. Esme and Alice had gotten me back to my healthy state with their constantly feeding me. Really everything was falling into place well.

"So Bells, how many people did you sleep with before Alice here?"

"Emmett!" Alice yelled at him from her position in my lap.

"Ah come on! Big brothers need to know these things." I chuckled when Alice threw her current book at his head. "Fine! I'll leave! Just real quick, have you guys ever-?"

"GET OUT EMMETT!" He laughed manically and then left up to his room.

"Bella? How many people have you been with?"

"Really Alice? Is that what you want to do today?" She hesitated and then shook her head.

"No. You're right. It doesn't matter." I went back to reading my book. "But no. You know my number. How come I can't know yours?" I looked at her questioningly again. She seemed to be having an internal battle about if she wanted to know or not.

"Alice if you really want to know I'll tell you. But it's up to you."

"Ummm. No. Wait yes. No!" I started to laugh at her indecisiveness. She continued to go back and forth as I kissed the top of her head lovingly.

"Bella I got that book you wanted to read." Jasper came in during Alice's struggle. I had asked him about a book I wanted to read on World War II a while back. It was part of my plan to read all the good books on famous wars to study tactics and strategies. Jasper had highly recommended this one.

"Oh yes Jasper thank you. One second. I'll be right back love." Alice nodded as I got up. She went to go get the book she had flung across the room earlier. Jasper led me to his room. It really captured his personality. Modest and a little old country. "Really thank you again Jasper. I've been looking for this one for a while."

"It's no problem Bella." He smiled genuinely.

"Did you ever serve in this war?" I was curious, I knew he was human during the civil war, and he loved being a soldier. The way he talked about it, it made him proud.

"Um no. I wanted to. But there was um, too much blood." I nodded understandingly. Poor Jasper has had the worst journey to self-control.

"Right. I'm sorry." I went to go back toward the couch, but he stopped me.

"Uh Bella, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah of course Jasper. What's up?"

"How do you do it? You control yourself so well." I sighed, expecting this question from him eventually.

"It's a little different for you than it is for me. I'm not full vampire. When I was, there was no control to be had." He sat down disappointed. He had hoped there was a certain secret to my success. I felt horrible and sat down next to him. "Look, I'm going to tell you something that I've only told Alice. The only reason why I'm like this right now is because I gave up. I was trying to end it, make the killing and thirst stop. But of course my wolf had other ideas. If that didn't happen, I probably would have flipped the switch."

"Bella-" I held a hand up to stop him. Talk about turning off humanity made people uncomfortable. For a reason of course. If a vampire turned off their humanity, there was no stopping them. That's actually why the Volturi was created in the first place. So many vampires had flipped the switch because they were tired of living. It was not something to take lightly.

"If I hadn't had this other being inside of me, there would not have been a single person who was safe. So what you're doing amazes me. I could not do the animal diet for the life of me. Please don't ever think of yourself as weak." Jasper gave me a watery smile, his eyes had filled with tears.

"Thank you Bella." He gave me an awkward hug. We parted nicely and I returned to the couch where Alice was situated.

"You are the most wonderful person." She whispered when I positioned myself behind her again.

"You heard all that?"

"Maybe." She turned around and nuzzled into my neck. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Hey Bella would you like your eggs over easy or over medium?"

"Uh over medium please. Thank you love." I leaned down to kiss her as I continued to get ready for school. Today was Friday, the weekend was in view and I was excited about spending more time with Alice. We were planning our Biloxi trip for some time in the next few weeks.

"Don't forget your English essay. It's on the coffee table."

"Oh right. Thank you." She finished breakfast and put a plate on the table right after I zipped up my backpack.

"Breakfast is served."

"You are a saint."

"Hmmmmm. Maybe. We'll see about that after school today." She whispered into my ear in a sultry tone. I swallowed hard. But before I could make a move and eventually cause us to be late for school, my cell interrupted the moment.

"Swan speaking."

"Hey Bella it's Colt."

"Oh hey Chief. What's up?"

"Nothing too serious really. Just some Volturi guards are moving around a bit. It could be a sign of something more, but we don't think so. Anyways, I'm just calling to see if you could make it over next weekend for some briefings on it. We're going to update intelligence on all the whereabouts of the vampires we know about."

"Oh yeah yeah. I think I can do that."

"Sounds good to me. See you then." He hung up and I looked to Alice, who had heard everything.

"It's not dangerous. I'm sorry babe but I have to go."

"Don't be silly. I know. Just be careful."

"Always am." Woah that was weird. Was I turning into Charlie? Alice kissed my head as I finished eating. Sadly we made it to school on time with no delays or pit stops. "I'll see you at lunch." She pouted when we parted, but it was Friday. There was something to look forward to.

* * *

The school day went by fast, and before I knew it I was back at the Cullen house, playing video games with Emmett.

"You suck Emmett. You have all night to practice while I sleep. How do you still suck so bad?"

"Shut up Bella. I'm busy all night with Rosie, keeping my girl satisfied." There was a loud smack as Rosalie hit the back of his head.

"Bella when you're done with Emmett, can we play battleship?"

"You sure you wanna lose again Jasper?"

"My girl kicks ass." Alice laughed across the room from her armchair. I couldn't argue with that. I did kick ass.

"DAMMIT BELLA!" Emmett jumped up as I shot his character for the win. "You are cheating somehow! I just know it!" I stood up to put the controller away, laughing.

"Just face it Emmett. You-" **_Bang!_**

There was an earsplitting sound and something hard hit my chest. I knew this feeling. I looked down and put my hand on my torso. Pulling it away, I saw my hand was covered in blood.

There's a strange few seconds after you get shot in the chest, where your heart sputters trying to pump, not knowing what hit it. But you're still aware of everything around you. I looked up at Alice, who appeared to be clutching her chest as well, staring at me in fear. There were so many things I wanted to say, but nothing came out. There was no sound. The only thing I could hear was the stammering of my heart, and the last effort it made to keep going. And then there was nothing.


	46. Get Home

**A/N: Sorry for delay, I've been super duper sick. Every time I opened my laptop I needed to vomit. Not the most pleasant of times. I'm absolutely loving all the reviews though. Making my days so much better. I got a jam packed chapter for you. Cheers.**

* * *

 **Chapter 46:** **Get Home**

 **Alice POV:**

My world had crashed in a matter of seconds. Bella's eyes were looking at me so desperately. And then they rolled back as she fell backwards to the ground loudly.

"EMMETT THE WINDOW!" Rosalie screamed in terror, eyes darting every which way for more signs of danger. Jasper had already run out to find the sniper who made the shot. I fell to my knees, clutching at Bella's body.

"What the hell happened?" Carlisle burst through the door coming from the garage. Obviously he had heard the commotion inside. He looked down to Bella and me, then panicked at Rosalie. I tuned out as Rosalie explained quickly.

"Carlisle! Carlisle he's Volturi!" Jasper and Emmett came in holding a red eyed vampire with a gun. I snapped and went for the kill.

"Alice no! We need to question him." Esme and Edward had grabbed me before I reached the killer. The person who murdered my mate. "Boys take him down to the basement. I'll meet you down there." Carlisle ordered and then moved quickly to his office. The guys struggled with taking the vampire downstairs, so Edward had to join in the effort. Rosalie went to take his place of holding me back, but I had other plans. I ran over to Bella's body, put on a brave face, and got her phone out of her pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhhh!" I shushed Rosalie while dialing. "Hi is this Colt?"

"Yes this is. Who am I speaking to?"

"Um this is Alice Cullen. We have a situation here."

"What happened?" His tone changed immediately. He was all business now.

"We have a Volturi member here who-who shot Bella. Through our window." I choked a little at the end, looking down at my fallen mate.

"Is she-?"

"Yes." I interrupted him. I couldn't bear to hear anyone confirm her lifelessness.

"Ok. Ok. Did you check for any more?"

"I'm on it." Rosalie said viciously and stormed out the door.

"Is said vampire dead yet? Or do you have them in custody?"

"We have him alive. For now." I growled out.

"Ok. Shit ok. Bella really would have been the best for questioning, but plans change. Use your venom if he doesn't talk easy. It doesn't do what it does to Bella, but I'm still told it hurts like a bitch for regular vampires. If that doesn't work just kill him. The time spent on him won't be worth it. But right now I need you all to start moving. If he got a message out saying Bella's whereabouts you are not safe. Do not go back to her place, I can lock that down remotely. I can get a jet ready at the nearest airport but I can't oversee you getting there. You need to take backroads and detours. Is Bella's car there?"

"Uh yes." My mind was reeling with all the information. Esme was taking notes.

"Alright. She usually has some weapons stashed in the trunk. Arm yourselves for the worst. Call me when you're on the road. See you soon." The man hung up abruptly, probably to warn Liam. Esme ran to Carlisle to give him the message and I took a deep breath. I was going to stay calm this time. This was a life and death situation.

"I couldn't find any other scents. What's the situation Alice?" I explained everything that was just conveyed to me to Rosalie. "Ok. I'll go through Bella's car. Can you put her in? You can drive her car with Jasper, I'll take my car with Emmett and Edward, and then Carlisle can take Esme in his." I nodded and we both started moving.

"Come on Bella. I'm gonna take you home." I whispered while picking her up gently. The faster we got out of here, the better.

Carlisle approached me when I was carefully putting Bella into the passenger's seat.

"Alice would you like to donate some venom?"

"Oh yes please." I took the syringe from him happily. "You'll tell me when you find anything out right?"

"Of course. And when the time comes you can do the honors."

"Thank you Carlisle." He patted my shoulder and left for the basement. I stayed with Bella, waiting for a signal.

"Heads up we got incoming!" Emmett ran upstairs with the grave statement. "Alice, Carlisle said you can finish this asshole now. He didn't give us much, but he did say he got the message out to the Volturi main guard." I nodded and ran downstairs so we could get a move on quickly.

The vampire was a pathetic mess when I arrived. I reminded myself to thank Carlisle later for showing no mercy. Jasper handed me a lighter and I ripped off the culprit's head with ease. There really wasn't time to savor the revenge.

"Ok, Emmett can you be the lead car? Alice will take middle and I'll bring up the rear." Emmett nodded at Carlisle's orders and grabbed his keys. I ran my way back to Bella with Jasper following close behind. It made sense to have him in our car if she woke up earlier than expected. Her emotional barriers were down last time this had happened and he could feel her confusion. Of course he wouldn't be able to do anything about it, but at least he could understand how she was feeling.

"It'll all be fine Alice. Just relax." Jasper told me calmly from the backseat as we drove. I kept stealing worried glances at Bella next to me. Still lifeless. My hand made its way to the tag resting on my chest. It was one thing not to hear her heart beat anymore, but another to not feel it. I'll never forget that terrible moment when it felt as though the bullet went straight through my chest as well. It was a pain I hope to never experience again.

Emmett was expertly leading us through the backroads of Washington towards safety. It took a while, but we all made it to the airport in one piece. Everyone was still on edge though, and probably would be until we were up in the air. Colt had given me instructions on how exactly to get to the checkpoint where we were needed. This is when we switched lead cars so they would follow mine.

"Are you the Cullen family?" A young man in a uniform asked when we got to the gate.

"Yes sir." I said nervously. The man leaned over and looked towards Bella's body next to me.

"I'm sorry to do this but can I ask to see her ID tags real quick? Protocol." He really did seem sorry to ask. I carefully pulled at the chain around her neck, now coated in blood, and showed them to him. He nodded and opened the gate for us. Once placing them gently back where they were, I pulled in and drove towards the large aircraft. More people in uniform gave us instructions on where to park and go. Jasper emptied the car of any personal items while I took care of Bella.

"This way ma'am." All eyes seemed to be on me and her as I was led into the plane. Another young gentleman showed us where everything was once we settled in. The pilots were already in the cockpit, waiting for the all clear to take off. "All set?" The man asked us once we were all buckled up and nervously looking at each other.

"I think so. Right?" Carlisle asked all of us. There were some nods and 'yeah's, this was all so new and strange.

"Alright then. We'll have you all up and out of here in no time." He took once last glance Bella's way, frowning, and then shut the door. I shut my eyes and breathed in calming breaths. We were going to be ok.

I did not open my eyes again until we were wheels up. Everyone seemed to let out a collective breath as well.

About halfway to D.C., Bella woke up gasping for air. It was still a terrifying thing to witness. Jasper and Carlisle went over asking her how she was and what she remembered. It took longer this time for her to get her bearings and mind set. But she eventually did and started firing questions while holding my hand. Once the boys had filled her in on everything, we were about to land.

"How are you feeling?" I finally asked her after staying silent for so long.

"I'm fine. A little stressed with everything, but really I'm ok. Are you alright?" She studied me closely. The last time she had been killed in front of me I was an absolute mess. But I hadn't had time to be as upset today, with all the drama and things that needed to be done. I was just happy she was safe with me right now.

"I've been better. But you're safe and sound and that's all that matters." She smiled and squeezed my hand.

If I wasn't already kind of disorientated already, I sure was after the in processing. Even Carlisle was a little frazzled by it all. Luckily Bella knew everyone and everything in the place.

Suddenly out of nowhere, someone tackled my mate to the ground. Emmet who was still on edge, threw the person off her right away.

"Easy big guy! It's just me." Liam stood up while dusting his jeans off.

"Oh sorry dude. It's been a rough day."

"I can imagine." He went to hug everyone briefly, with Esme holding onto him for dear life.

"You have any trouble?" Bella asked once I helped her up.

"Nope. Zoey and I got out right away without a scratch. They're still processing her in right now. Honestly I think you were the main target Bells." She grumbled annoyed at the whole thing. That did not make me feel better at all.

"Why just Bella?" Carlisle asked concerned for his newest daughter's safety. Liam shrugged nonchalantly.

"They really don't like her. I don't know if you noticed this, but Bella's kind of a pain in the ass." It was so strange how they could joke about these things so openly. There were literally psycho killers after them.

"Doctor Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you." A grizzled looking man came up to greet us, obviously the famous Michael Colt. Carlisle jumped in surprise and shook his hand eagerly.

"Yes sir it is." Bella was gazing at the two of them confused.

"Liam why don't you show Bella what I was just debriefing you on. Then I can get our guests settled in." Liam followed his orders right away, taking a reluctant Bella away from me. I whined pathetically, wanting to stay by her side. But she gave me a reassuring nod before leaving.

The next few hours were all a blur. It was a combination of confirming our current information and various background checks. But eventually the time had come where I got to be reunited with my wolf again. She was chatting with Liam and some girl who I assumed was Zoey in the lounge area. Bella immediately jumped up at the sight of me and wrapped me into a warm hug.

"I missed you too." I mumbled into her chest. She had changed shirts now so she wasn't still covered in blood.

"Here, let me introduce you to Zoey." The girl stood up and shook my hand politely. She sort of reminded me of Bella when she was human. Are all humans shy? Well I guess I would be too around so many vampires.

"Alright Cullens. Let me show you where you'll be staying." Colt had come back to lead us to our new place.

"Staying?" Bella looked from us to Colt furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Aren't you going back to Forks?" Carlisle and Colt both gave me a 'go ahead' nod to tell her.

"Um, no Bella. Carlisle has a new job here. He's actually had it for quite some time. We've decided to move here with you."

"What?" She had the same face I had when they first told me.

"Clean your ears sis. We're living right next to you now. As a family." Emmett beamed at her. She just continued to stare in complete disbelief.

"When did-? How did-? When-? Did you know about this?" She asked me after several failed attempts. Now I felt slightly guilty.

"Well, sort of. I only found out right before Christmas time. And really I never truly lied to you. We were going to tell you after graduation. But obviously things have changed." Bella kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

"You broke her." Liam laughed hysterically from the couch.

"Why did you do all this for me?" She finally managed to choke out.

"How many times do we have to tell you that we're a family now Bella? You're stuck with us." Rosalie said before pulling Bella into a tight hug. The whole family joined in and it was a very sweet moment.

"Ok, enough with the gooeyness. This way to chateau Cullen." Colt chuckled from the corner and led everyone outside. I went to follow but Bella had stopped me.

"Bella I want to see where I'll be staying." I whined when she started to pull me somewhere else. "Where are you taking me?"

"It'll just be a second. Come on." She tugged me down the hall where there were a few doors. Taking out a key buried deep in her pocket, she opened one of them.

It appeared to be a beautiful loft inside. Fully equipped with a kitchen, bedroom, living area, and a massive bathroom and closet. I couldn't help but notice that the style was very much like my girlfriend's own, modern and chic. All the details and décor that stood out were screaming Bella's name. The place was coated in her lovely scent.

"Is this your place?" I asked after she had silently given me a small tour.

"Well, yeah." She started to rub her neck like she always did when she was uncomfortable or uneasy. What was making her so nervous? "Um, well, I wanted to ask you, Alice would you like to move in with me?"


	47. Spoiled Moments

**A/N: So I'm still really sick which means I have nothing to do but write. Lemon fluff chapter with some drama at the end. :) Oh ps I know I'll have more mistakes in my writing from sick brain. I'm sorry everyone. It happens**

* * *

 **Chapter 47:** **Spoiled Moments**

 **Bella POV:**

Oh crap. She's just staring at me. Shit I asked too soon. I've scared her. Oh my god she's starting to cry. She's going to break up with me again. Say something!

"Fuck I'm sorry Alice I didn't mean to-" The rest of my sentence never made it out, the breath was completely knocked out of me. My little pixie tackled me to the ground, succeeding in surprising me and causing me to gasp for air.

"YES! Oh yes yes yes yes yes yes!" She was attacking my face with kisses upon kisses. "Oh god I love you so much." Her hands embedded themselves in my hair just as her tongue slipped its way into my mouth. I let out an embarrassingly loud moan.

"Um before I forget, is that a yes?" Alice was starting to make her way down my neck, so my question turned into a pathetic whine.

"It's a fuck yes." She was doing a wonderful job at arousing me in no time. Her desperation was turning into a puddle.

"Alright then." I picked her off me in one fell swoop and plopped her onto the bed. She was tugging at my jeans aggressively while I made quick work of her clothes. "Wait wait wait."

"What?" Alice groaned out when I stopped us from continuing. She is always so cute when sexually flustered.

"I'm sorry love. Before we go any further I just wanted to tell you something." She looked up at me with her full attention. "You've been really amazing and understanding about my past relationships and stuff, and I can't thank you enough for that. But I want to let you know that I've never had anyone _here_. And not because of the placement or anything, but because this has been my sanctuary. My space. And-and now it's ours." I finished kind of lamely. She brought her hand up to my face and caressed my cheek softly.

"You are so sweet." She leaned up to give me a small kiss. "And I love you." Alice gave me another tender kiss, looking at me lovingly. "Now, take off your pants."

"Yes ma'am." I laughed out while obeying her orders readily.

"Mmmmmm…" She licked her lips hungrily staring me down. I sucked on them greedily, biting every now and then until I had her hips jerking wildly underneath me, searching for friction. Enough was enough. I moved quickly and dipped my head in between her legs. "Oh fuck. Bella…." She ground out as I teased her slowly with my tongue. Her intoxicating scent was absolutely delectable. A low growl started rumbling in my chest. What had begun as teasing for her had turned into torture for me. I gave her inner thigh a loving nip before sucking on her clit with no mercy.

Alice's nails scratched desperately at my skull during my barrage. My hands wandered up her silky smooth legs, wanting to touch more. She rocked against my face when one of my hands massaged her breasts and the other went back down towards her center. She was getting closer and closer, I could feel it. Her shaking and moans were becoming more involuntary by the second. With one final nip I gave her that last push she needed.

Her back arched up completely as she pushed me further into her in ecstasy. I eagerly lapped up her juices like liquid gold, savoring every bit. She finally fell back down against the mattress, breathing hard. I kissed my way up her body, so we could both recover. Alice tugged on my neck once I reached her face, tasting herself on my lips.

"Hmmmm. That was good." She whispered lazily as I laid my head down on her chest. I was too tired to properly laugh, so I just grinned stupidly.

"Yeah." I was ready to take a nice nap on her after that welcome.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to take a 5 hour energy love. We still have company."

"Shit." I had totally forgotten that we had just snuck away from her entire family not that long ago. "Oh fuck." She giggled and pushed me off, searching for her clothes.

"This may be slightly my fault. But you did seem to enjoy it." She threw me my pants and shirt and put on hers.

"Fuck Alice. I can't go out there now! Oh my god I'm already embarrassed." How could I have been so stupid?

"Baby, just relax ok? You're not injured this time, thank goodness, and we can just say half the truth. You did ask me to move in with you. And I did say yes. So you gave me a tour and we talked. No problem." Everything she said sounded so good. I scrutinized her closely.

"When did you get so good at lying? Should I be worried?" She smiled and kissed my nose.

"Hmm, maybe. Now get dressed." I nodded and hopped to it. I was about to go out the door before she stopped me with hysterical laughing.

"What?"

"You are the absolute worst! Seriously. Look at yourself Bella." I furrowed my eyebrows and looked down. What was wrong? "What would you do without me?" Alice had to lean in and zip up my jeans and fix my shirt. "Oh your hair!" She tried fruitlessly to fix it, but eventually gave up and led me outside.

"Well what have you two been up to?" We were immediately pounced on by Liam who was walking to his room next to mine.

"Nothing!" I panicked ok. He grinned slyly at me before winking and leaving.

"Ok maybe you should just go back inside and I'll deal with the talking to people." Alice suggested, making me go red in the face.

"Shit." But she tugged me along unwillingly. Luckily her family was still touring their expansive new place outside next to our complex.

"Where the hell have you been Alice? You already missed the room calling. Sucks to suck." Emmett pulled her into brotherly head lock.

"Bella was just showing me my new place." She said right when the rest of them popped out around the corner.

"Your what?" Rosalie asked, narrowing her eyes at the both of us.

"Bella asked me to move in with her. And I said yes." For the third time that day, I was tackled to the ground forcefully.

"Ouch! Emmett what the hell?" My whole body was in so much pain now. Emmett just grinned and helped me up happily.

"You're stealing my baby sister Bells. But I forgive you because you guys are so damn cute." He ruffled my hair and gave Alice a hug. Esme pulled us both into a tight hug along with Rosalie.

"I'm so happy for you two." Carlisle shook my hand and gave me a warm smile. Shit I need to talk to him later about marrying Alice. One thing at a time Bella.

"Hate to break up the moment, but we might have a major issue." Liam came in with a terrified look on his face.

"What? What's wrong?" He's never worried like this, it was freaking me out.

"Come here. You have to see this." He led everyone back into our complex in the lounge area with the TV on full blast. Zoey was sitting on the couch with the same look and staring at the program playing.

"What? What is-?" He shushed me so I would listen to the news being broadcasted.

 _"If you're just joining us now we have breaking news. The notorious vampire group known as the Volturi, who made their names recently with their countless atrocities this past summer, have released files on their most infamous detainees. I repeat, all official records on subjects_ _ **173952**_ _and_ _ **173953**_ _, also known as Isabella Swan and Liam Jackson, have been unveiled. We are currently working to get all the information right now as I speak. The internet is going absolutely haywire right now in the chaos. The self-proclaimed vampire royalty coven is asking for any information people may have on their current whereabouts. Again, we have breaki…."_

I zoned the rest out. My vision was going black around the edges and I felt heavy.

"Bella! Bella can you hear me? Fuck, Carlisle!" I could faintly hear Alice's panicked voice coming from what seemed far away.

"Oh fuck." I heard myself mutter before passing out.


	48. Didn't Ask For It

**Chapter 48:** **Didn't Ask For It**

 **Bella POV:**

 _"What are you going to do_ _ **173952**_ _? You can't escape. Just give up already. Now be a good little girl and stop fucking fighting every order you are given!" Aro was angry with me again. Surprise surprise. He sighed at my lack of response and gestured for Felix to continue his beating of me._

 _"Fuck. You." I coughed out along with some blood. I miss my freedom._

 _"What could you possibly do now dear? Let's just say that somehow you were out in the human world, what would you do? Everyone knows what you've done. No one likes you_ _ **173952**_ _. You are a weak, pathetic, monster. A mutant. A failed experiment. You disgust me." Felix had pulled me up by the scruff of my neck so Aro could give me his speech face to face._

 _"Go to hell." Aro sighed dramatically once again and pinched his nose in irritation. It gave me a sense of pride that I could cause this reaction from him. This is why I will never back down. Never give up on my free will._

 _"Take her to Caius again, Felix. And give her some more venom. I don't hear enough screaming." Felix obeyed and started to drag me to my doom._

 _"Demetri!" He called while pulling me down the hall I've come to know so well. "Get me another vial of venom for_ _ **173952**_ _. Also get one for_ _ **173953**_ _as well. He hasn't had some in a while."_

 _"Of course. Here I have one for her right now." Demetri pinned me up against the icy hard wall, holding my neck harshly. I felt a needle being pushed down deep into my neck. When will this torture end? I can barely remember what the sky even looks like._

"Bella? Bella can you hear me?"

 _"Ah_ _ **173952**_ _, back so soon? When will we learn dear?"_

"Bella? Carlisle she's still not awake."

 _"What am I going to do with you….?" Caius' cold fingers ran across my neck and down my collarbone. The venom was starting to kick in, making this so much worse._

"She should be waking up any second Alice. She can probably hear us now."

"Bella? Bella? Carlisle she looks like she's in pain!"

"I think she's having a nightmare or something. It's not pleasant at all whatever it is."

"That is not helping Jasper! Bella? Bella please wake up?" I could hear the voices. But I was still trapped in between realities.

 _"Just give up already. There is nothing for you to hold out for. No one will ever love you. Flip the switch. Obey orders."_

"Belllaaaa! Carlisle can you give her something?"

"I'm afraid not Alice."

"Nooooooooo." I heard myself groan that out. My senses were slowly returning. I could feel Alice's soft hands touch my face in comfort. So different from Caius'.

 _"Ah but you insist on being a little rebel don't you? I think you like me punishing you. You like it you little bitch." He smirked and undid his robe slowly. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Be strong Bella. You'll get your revenge one day. Just hold out. Just a little longer. "Well I won't keep you waiting then."_

"NOOOOO!" My eyes finally flew open to meet Alice's terrified looking ones. I was sweating and out of breath, it felt as though I had run a marathon. Jesus that was horrible.

"Are you alright? Do you need something to drink or anything? Some aspirin? Tea? Water?" Alice was examining me closely, obviously worried. Someone had moved me to the couch in the lounge area, and the TV was turned off.

"Uh no no. I'm fine. Just need a second." Shit everyone was staring at me, not helping my thinking process. Ok think Bella, think. What happened?

Holy shit. Everything came back to me. The Volturi released our files. The whole world knows who we are. My face must have gone completely white because Alice pulled my whole head against her chest to calm me.

"Hey hey. Everything's going to be ok. Colt's going on live in a few minutes. They are _not_ going to hurt you. Not ever again." She ended assertively, squeezing my shoulder. I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my face out of stress. It all sounded good, but the Volturi have ways. I of all people know that.

"Ok. Ok, why is the TV off?" Everyone made uneasy faces at my question. I also just noticed Liam was not around. What were they not telling me?

"Um, well it just wasn't something we wanted to watch." Esme said uncomfortably. What the fuck is going on? I raised my eyebrows and looked to Alice, she would tell me.

"Alice? Alice what's going on?" She bit her lip hesitantly.

"Bella they released some um, numbers. And um, names of er, victims. And, and people aren't taking it well." Oh Christ. No no no this can't be happening. I knew they kept track of everyone they brought in for killing for official purposes, but to release that information? That's so fucked up. I started to shake violently again. "But they don't understand what the Volturi did at all! They're just putting their anger into faces they can place! It's not right Bella and that's why Colt is giving a speech. Bella please just relax?"

"Jesus Alice how am I supposed to relax?! Fuck I mean this is why I always have to cover my tattoo in public! How can I blame them for hating me?" I jumped off the couch and away from them. I needed air.

"Bella wait!" Alice's voice called for me as I was out the door. I didn't want to talk to her anymore, my control was wavering and I didn't want to take it out on her. It wasn't her fault I was so fucking stupid and killed a shit ton of people. I phased and ran for the forest that was nearby. I needed some time to wallow in self-pity.

 **Alice POV:**

"Alice don't!" Jasper pulled me back to stop from chasing after Bella. She was obviously in pain and needed me. Why did he stop me? "She needs some time for herself. Just give her that. You can find her later. But she left because she didn't want to take anything out on you. Her emotions were very strong. I'm actually wondering why that is."

"Full moon tonight." Carlisle said from his spot next to a worried Esme. We all gave him questioning looks. "I only put the two together now. It makes sense on why Liam had to run out earlier as well." I nodded and thought of what had happened not too long ago.

We were watching the broadcast on the two of them and the station was starting to take 'expert' opinions from others. Their words were just sickening. Although to be honest I really wasn't paying attention that hard, I was more concerned about Bella's state. But Jasper and Emmett kept yelling at the TV as if they could hear them, and Rosalie and Esme were getting upset. Carlisle was also busy helping me with Bella, but he was pursing his lips annoyed at what he was hearing. Everything went to hell though when Liam started shaking uncontrollably. Zoey had tried to calm him down just as I had with Bella, but he wouldn't have it. He told us he needed to shift and think. I really should have predicted this after all that had happened.

I decided I would stay until the end of Colt's broadcast and then go find Bella. Carlisle turned on the TV again hesitantly, obviously not wanting to hear anymore hatred at his newest daughter. But his timing was perfect.

 _And now we have a special broadcast for you from the head of the military intelligence division that employees the now publicly known Isabella Swan and Liam Jackson…_

I cringed at the way the newslady spoke my mate's name. Oh what little she knew. Fuck her.

The camera cut to a press room with the man I had literally just met today. The bottom of the screen flashed **Breaking News: Division Head Michael Colt gives speech relating to released Volturi files**. He cleared his throat and began without a script.

 _Good evening. This afternoon, the ill-famed Volturi released private files relating to my employees with sensitive information on their identities. This was an act of malice and hate. It will not be tolerated by me, or any personal in my division. Tonight I speak to you to end the preconceived ideas and attitudes towards these two individuals. I have had the privilege of working closely with them for the past several months, and I can tell you now that no one has any idea what they have been through. Not even myself. I want you to take a moment and remember this; they are 18 and 16 years old. Even with everything they have experienced, and their lack of age, they show more bravery and moral fiber than I have ever seen. They did not ask for this. We need to remember who the real enemy is here, the Volturi. Who continue to hunt down these poor kids, with no mercy. So I leave you with these images; the ones the Volturi have put in your head, and the truth._

The screen flashed to the Volturi's pictures they had of Bella and Liam after the change, very mugshot like, obviously taken for official filing. I had seen these mere hours before but still couldn't look away. They looked so lifeless, it broke my heart. Her red eyes terrified me, I hoped I'd never see those in real life. But the screen flashed to images that made my heart ache even more. They were taken obviously before the change, just their school pictures, but everything was so different. I had almost forgotten what my old Bella looked like. Oh god I need her now.

Jasper didn't stop me this time when I jumped up to go after her. He understood after all that. The whole family was actually really depressed looking now. This was all our fault, we forget that sometimes. No matter what Bella says, it was.

I ran outside and followed her scent desperately. She had gone pretty far and destroyed a few trees in her path. But the closer I got to her fresh scent, the less destruction there was. She had obviously calmed down with time. Finally I found my wolf laying down and staring up at the moon and sky. She was honestly the most adorable thing on this earth. I sat down next to her and kissed the top of her furry head. Bella began to quietly whine and give me her puppy dog face, meaning she was apologizing for her earlier behavior. I laughed and scratched behind her ears in acceptance.

"Don't worry. I know you needed some alone time. You are my strange little wolf. And I love you." She relaxed considerably and laid her head in my lap. I continued to scratch her ears until I got her leg going. Yes! She grumbled at me in annoyance and embarrassment, and moved her head back down into the grass. I giggled and positioned myself so I could lay on my stomach across from her.

Her eyes were so beautiful, I could stare into them all day long. I blew into her face lightly, ruffling her fur. She grumbled again and nudged my nose with hers.

"Alright alright I've had my fun." She settled back down and closed her eyes contently. "Hey Bella?" She opened them again, letting me know I had her attention. "Do you ever miss being human?" I don't know why I asked this now, but it had been bothering me for some time. She stared at me confusedly, but shook her head no. "Really?" I found that hard to believe. Besides Emmett really, my entire family always talked about how they missed being human. I mean I know Bella was all set to be turned into a vampire by her own choice, but still. It didn't exactly turn out that way.

Seeing that old photo of Bella really had upset me. She was so young and innocent looking. I felt horrible about everything she had been through to get to her current state. Like Colt said, she didn't ask for this. Bella had not responded to me in any way for a while now so I blew at her face again gently as a simple 'hey'. She nudged my nose with a 'sorry' but nodded her head at my second question.

"Why?" That sort of slipped out. What am I doing? Trying to have this deep conversation with her in her wolf form. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I can read her better when she is a wolf though. She doesn't really hide much.

Bella responded by giving my face a big wet kiss. Just because I love her does not mean that her wolf kisses have grown on me. It was still pretty gross. But I appreciated the gesture and it made me giggle.

"You really mean that?" She jumped up nodding and licked my face once again. "Ok! Ugh Bella that is so nasty." But she saw right through me and tackled me as I got up, licking my face nonstop. I had to push her off and tickle her relentlessly to get back.

We spent the rest of the night wandering through the forest aimlessly. I pushed her into a nearby creek a few times, but she got me back by shaking her fur dry violently right next to me. Eventually we had to stroll our way back home, but she stopped on the edge of the forest right before getting there.

"What?" She whined at me and nipped at my shirt. Oh right. She's naked. Not that I would mind or anything. Actually that would be lovely. But I did mind if she came walking in naked in front of everyone. My family had already seen her naked once and it was not by choice. "Oh right. Give me a second." I ran inside to Bella's, oops sorry, _our_ place, and got her some fresh clothes. I brought them back quickly and gave them to her. She phased back easily and changed rather fast, probably to avoid unnecessary groping on my part. Ok she does it to. Don't judge me. She's fucking sexy alright. Once she was all dressed I took her hand and we ambled back home. I liked saying that. Home. With Bella.

"Oh by the way." She stopped me before we got inside. "I really do mean it. I could never do this when I was human." She took my chin in her hand and plopped a kiss right on my lips. It made me smile widely.

"Hmm. Well maybe you could. But you couldn't do what we're about to do." I purred lowly, sending a growl through her chest. "I'll….. race ya!"


	49. Important Conversations

**Chapter 49:** **Important Conversations**

 **Bella POV:**

My little tease had aroused me with her sensual purr, so I was momentarily confused when she abruptly left me outside. Oh she was in for it now. I caught up with her right when she had entered our apartment and slammed her against the door.

"I beat you." She breathed out against my lips. Her eyes were getting darker by the second as I'm sure were mine.

"I don't care." My lips crashed onto hers hungrily. My emotions _were_ really heightened by the full moon. The fact that she still had clothes on was really fucking bothering me. The door was groaning with the force I was using to push her into it. I lifted her up by her thighs and thrusted my hips right into her center.

"Fuck Bella, just fuck me already." Oh how I love it when she says stuff like that. I nodded against her mouth and ripped her shirt right off. How can someone's body taste so fucking delicious? "Bella are you still there? Are you still in control?" Alice was asking me slightly concerned but also pretty aroused. I hadn't realized I was growling so much until she said something.

"Yeah I'm still here." Damn when did I rip her pants off too? _Was_ I still fully here? Screw it. I'm not stopping now. She peeled my shirt over my head while I shimmied my pants down. And without wasting another moment, I pushed my fingers inside her, eliciting the most beautiful moan. Thank god my walls were soundproofed as well. It really didn't take that long to bring her to orgasm, it made my ego swell quite bit. I let her recover as I caught my breath, still positioned against the door.

"Bella really? You didn't even take your jeans off!"

"Huh?" I looked down and saw that my jeans were in fact still bunched up around my ankles. It was good enough at the time alright. "Oh sorry. I was a little preoccupied though."

"I'll say. I forgot how much fun I get to have with you on full moons." That was very true. I was already ready for round two and carried her towards the bed this time. Although I kicked my jeans off all the way now. I placed myself on top of her and went to start some foreplay before she stopped me.

"What? I'm in control I swear."

"No no it's not that. It's just." She bit her lip worriedly. "Can I take the reins this time? It's been a while." I felt like a complete ass that she was so apprehensive about asking me that.

"Yeah of course." I relaxed my muscles as much as I could so she could flip us. My stupid domineering wolf let out a small whine from the position, but I hushed it quickly. Alice was obviously still concerned, so she waited until I nodded for her to continue.

"You'll tell me if you're uncomfortable in any way right?" She asked as she straddled my waist.

"Yes." I watched her bite her lip again trying to decide what she wanted to do. The view was absolutely amazing from down here, I could stare at her all day. Apparently making up her mind, she started to run her hands up and down my sides. Chill bumps erupted across my skin from her touch. Her hands were getting lower and lower, dipping towards my navel area. My heartbeat picked up from her proximity. Stay focused. Just relax. Alice's hands trailed down past my pelvic area and my muscles finally snapped. I grabbed her hands and pushed them away.

"I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to upset you." She whispered softly and moved to get off, but I stopped her.

"Please don't. Just give me a second." I took a few calming breaths, trying to refocus on the present. "Ok." I looked back up at her, composed again. "Alright I'm good." She sighed sadly and leaned down to give me a small kiss.

"I'm sorry Bella. I shouldn't have tried that. I know better." Her eyes were avoiding mine. I had to prop myself up and hold her face in my hand.

"Hey. Don't ever apologize for trying. If you don't try, nothing will ever happen. As for my part I will keep trying to relax more. Ok?" I continued to hold her face until she nodded at me.

"Ok. How about we just do something else then?" I smiled and kissed her again as an affirmative. She moved down and positioned our bodies so our sexes were rubbing against each other. I let out the most humiliating moan, but she did too so it was alright. She placed both her hands in my hair this time and I put mine on her hips to keep balance. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Alice thrusted forward immediately. "Oh Christ!" Thank god Alice doesn't bruise, because the force my fingers were using to dig into her would definitely leave a mark on a human. She let me set the pace mostly, which really helped with me keeping it together. Fuck she's gorgeous. The sight of her on top of me rocking her hips back and forth against mine was almost enough to undo me. I buried my face in her chest to cool my heated face and inhale her scent. "Huhhh!" That would be the embarrassing sound that came from me when Alice sped up. Jesus was she trying to set the world record fastest time to get me to come? Honestly I think she was.

"Come on Bella. Just let go. Relax remember?" She said with a death grip on my hair. I had no idea how hard I was shaking and sweating until she told me to relax. I nodded into her breasts and uncoiled my tense muscles.

"Fuck Alice!" I came hard. My vision was clouded with stars and I wasn't sure if I was having a heart attack or not. When my senses finally returned, I was laying down panting with Alice settled on my chest.

"That good?" She giggled, propping her chin up to look at me.

"Mhm." I really didn't have the energy for words right now. She laughed again and then moved to I could lay on her chest while she pet my hair.

"That's my girl." She might have said something else but I passed out right then and there.

* * *

"Belllllllaaaaa. Wake up love. I made you pancakes…."

"Food?" My head popped up with the mention of food. I was fucking starving.

"Yes my little hungry wolf. Now sit up babe."

"Mmmmm." I rolled to my side and sat up to my beautiful girlfriend with a tray of food on it. "I love you so much." She placed the tray in my lap and kissed my nose before settling back down into bed with me while I ate.

"So apparently you have the next few days off. What would you like to do today?" I set down my fork and looked up at her seriously.

"Um actually I would like to talk to Carlisle today. About-about my issues." Her eyes widened in surprise at my sudden attitude change. She had asked about it weeks ago, but I shot down the idea right away.

"Really? Bella you really don't need to if it makes you uncomfortable."

"I know. I know that, but I want to. I would like us to be able to do stuff. And you've been super patient. But Carlisle's my actual doctor now though, so maybe he can recommend something to relax me. Or I don't know. It's worth a shot."

"I love you Bella. You are the absolute sweetest person ever. But are you sure? It might be a little weird."

"Oh it will be a lot weird. But that's why you'll be doing most of the talking." She grinned and took my empty tray.

"Sounds good to me. Alright shower and then get it over with?" I sighed, dreading this day already.

"Yeah ok."

Alice really enjoyed our new bathroom and how big it was. She promised a bath later if I behaved. I'm always behaved! But once we were all clean and clothed, she took my hand and led me towards Carlisle's new office. His official office was in our complex, which is the one we were going to now.

"Ah. Alice, Bella, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He looked up from the current files he was studying. Must be mine and Liam's medical history here.

"Um. We were hoping to talk to the doctor Carlisle today." Alice said tentatively. He scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion for only a moment, but then nodded and went serious.

"Yes of course. What seems to be the problem?" He gestured for us to sit in the two chairs across from his desk. Alice never let go of my hand while we took our seats. I was nervously wiping my other hand from sweat onto my jeans.

"Well. Uh this may be a little awkward." Carlisle nodded for Alice to continue. "Uh, well Bella and I have been having some very slight issues, in-in the bedroom." I have never been so embarrassed in my life. I don't think Alice has either because she looked horrified. But I knew why I was doing this. This was for us.

"Ok… I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific." Carlisle was doing a wonderful job of just being the doctor and not the father.

"Um. I have some problems with the uh- _personal_ intimacy?" I must have coughed and cleared my throat about a hundred times in that sentence.

"Alright. Ok, I think I know what you mean. Do you have any ideas on the why?" He was studying me closely.

"Well I think it's just that I can't seem to relax. I'm not really sure why but I can feel the tension in my muscles." Alice nodded in agreement with me. Carlisle put his fingers to his chin in thought.

"Have you tried anything to help relax?"

"Um no. We weren't quite sure what to try. Which is why we're here." Alice took over again. I've had enough humiliation for the day.

"Hmmmmm. Ok. Well let's see. You could try alcohol? Not a lot, just enough to relax you a little. Honestly really anything that relaxes you in general. And if you're still having problems after trying all that, I can give you a pill. It's a very small muscle relaxant, not strong at all. But it could help. Although I would like you to try the other ways first." I felt a rush of gratitude towards Carlisle's whole demener throughout this.

"Thank you Carlisle. We will try that. Really thank you." Alice hopped up, happy about how it went and about leaving. "Bella?" I hadn't moved from my spot.

"Yeah I'll be right out. I just need to talk to Carlisle real quick. If that's alright?" I turned to him questioningly.

"Of course."

"Ok. Don't be too long." She kissed the top of my head goodbye and left me alone with her father.

"So, am I speaking as a father or doctor?"

"Um. Father please?" He smiled and sat back relaxing in his chair.

"So what can I do for you Bella?" I felt suddenly nervous again. I knew what he would probably say, but it was still a scary thing to ask.

"I-I was wondering, wondering how would you feel, about me asking Alice to-to marry me?"

"I think….. that would make me very happy. And Alice even more so." He looked overjoyed at the prospect of me marrying his youngest daughter. Well maybe I was his youngest daughter? No not officially until we were married.

"Thank you Carlisle." A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was ready to go.

"If you don't mind me asking, have you thought about the ring yet?"

"Um actually yeah. I uh, already got it a while ago." I dug deep into my pocket, searching for the ring I kept on my person at all times. It was a stunning platinum band with a princess cut diamond placed in the middle.

"It's beautiful Bella. She'll love it. Do you have any idea on when you'll ask her?"

"Yeah. I was thinking maybe on our trip to Biloxi. We leave about a week after my birthday. Maybe on a walk on the beach or something. I'll feel it out." I was smiling just thinking about it. She made me so happy. I was absolutely ready to spend the rest of my life with her. Carlisle looked at me with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"It will be perfect no matter what. She loves you so much."

"And I love her. And Carlisle I would never dream of hurting her or anything-" He laughed and held up his hand to stop me.

"I know Bella. There's no need for the father talk with you. I trust you. Well, maybe Emmett may give you a hard time once you're engaged." He chuckled at the last part. I grinned and got up to shake his hand and leave.

"Thank you again."

"There's no need to thank me. Now get out of here, before Alice barges in asking what's taking so long." We both laughed at the truthfulness of his statement.

"Yes sir!" I gave him a mock salute and went to find my soon to be fiancée.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked, taking in my appearance.

"You of course." Alice rolled her eyes at my corniness. "Come on. Let's have an actual race. Ten bucks says I beat you."

"You're so on."


	50. The Calm Before

**Chapter 50:** **The Calm Before**

 **Alice POV:**

 **A Few Weeks Later**

Ever since Bella and I moved in together everything has been absolutely perfect. She's super happy and energetic all the time now. I think part of that is the fact that she's back at work. She really does love what she does for a living. But there's also something else there making her so cheerful. Bella says it's just because of me, but I swear she's not telling me something.

Our issues in the bedroom are still there. I've gotten further with the help of Carlisle's advice but it's still a no go. Bella said she's going to ask for that pill he mentioned sometime soon. I told her no rush. I don't like pushing anything. I still have a promise to keep.

Valentine's Day was awesome. We did not do gifts. They're too damn hard and Bella doesn't like them. Although she did get me roses. But we had a relaxing day with a walk and a long bath.

Her birthday was coming up soon, and we both decided it would be much better not to do anything for it. Given what happened last birthday. Yes that was completely my fault, she didn't even want a party. So we're just going to have a quiet day for her 19th. Was she 19? Or was she technically still 18? Her beating heart makes things so very confusing.

I still can't believe she's just 18 though. She's always acted older than she was, but especially now more then ever. I swear sometimes she seems older than me. My personal little genius. And I know she's smarter than she lets on.

We were all set to go to Biloxi the week after her birthday. I've already done a little research on myself to find out where to start looking. We've been planning on exactly where to go and what to do during the trip. I swear Bella seems more excited than I am for this. And that's saying something because I'm barely containing myself.

Right now we're lying in bed on Bella's day off. She was quietly reading while I just lay there on her chest, enjoying the movement from her breathing.

"Hey." I nudged her with the top of my head to get her attention.

"Yeah?"

"What are you reading?"

"This is the book that Jasper lent me. I'm finally getting around it. It's about World War II. It's actually really good."

"Can you read me something from it?" She chuckled lightly before reading an excerpt.

"There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square it with yourself."

"Wow." It took me a few moments to let it sink in. "That was beautiful. Who wrote it?"

"Robert Leckie. He was a marine in the pacific part of the war."

"That was also kind of depressing."

"Well it was war." She said before nuzzling the top of my head and going back to silently reading. But I kept thinking about that quote and how true it was. How could the Volturi do the things they did and still live with themselves? Bella was so small and fragile. How could you look at that and want to break it? I really don't have much say though, I practically broke her by leaving. And the author was right, I would never forgive myself for what I had done.

"I love you Bella."

"I love you too Alice. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just want to make sure you know that."

"Alright." She set her book down and propped herself up along with me. "Something is on your mind. Spill." I bit my lip anxiously before responding.

"Your birthday is tomorrow…."

"Ahhhh. And you're feeling-"

"Guilty!" I interrupted her, my emotional dam finally breaking. "If I just did what you asked me to do and not thrown a party who knows how things could have been?" She sighed sadly at my outburst.

"I'll tell you. I would still be in an illusory relationship with your brother, you would be miserable without me, and Edward would never turn me, causing me to eventually die from probably some accident. So don't you dare feel guilty about trying to do something nice. Not even you could have predicted the series of events it started." I let her words slowly wash over me, soothing my aching conscious.

"So you really don't blame me? Not even the tiniest of bits?"

"Of course not love. The only thing I'm mad at you about, is not telling me that you liked me earlier. We could have had a lot more time together…" She started to kiss me neck, causing me to giggle.

"Hey! The same can be said for you, little miss imprint!" She let out a ruff laugh and tackled me against the bed, tickling me with no mercy. "Bella!"

"Alright alright I'm done." She said pulling away.

"Come on babe. Let's have a bath, and then bed time. I'll let you sleep in for your birthday."

"Mmmmmm… Will you make me breakfast in bed?"

"Of course. Now let's go my soon to be 19 year old."

* * *

 **A/N: Super short chapter I know, but as you can tell from the title, it's for a reason. It just made sense to leave this one how it is. I just had to put that quote in. I absolutely love it. As always, thank you for the support! Oh and if anyone knows of any job openings, hit me up ;)**


	51. Nothing Stays Secret Forever

**Chapter 51:** **Nothing Stays Secret Forever**

 **Alice POV:**

"Good morning beautiful. Happy birthday." I whispered to my waking wolf. Her face broke into a small smile at my presence. I gave her a chaste kiss before getting up to bring her the food Esme helped me prepare. I wanted this day to be absolutely perfect, so I had to call Esme in for backup.

"Damn Alice. That's a shit ton of food."

"Well you are a hungry one. And it's your birthday, so tuck in love!" She laughed and kissed me before doing just that. "So. What would you like to do today? It's completely up to you."

"Actually, I'm going to Carlisle today and getting that pill he talked about. I thought maybe tonight we could try it out." She said nervously looking at me.

"Birthday sex? Count me in please." I laughed and laid my head on her chest. "But seriously are you sure? I told you I don't want to push anything."

"I know. But it's time." She quietly finished breakfast and got dressed to go see Carlisle.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"No I think I'll be fine. How about we go for a run today after I get back? I haven't phased in a while."

"Sounds good with me. I'll get dressed. See you in a jiffy." She chuckled at my slang and kissed me for a brief goodbye.

Bella returned with a small bottle of pills and set them aside for later in the evening. The run was really pleasant. I loved petting her furry head and getting that purr going. She was so precious.

Esme cooked her an extravagant dinner and I made her a small cake. She told me not to, but sue me, it's her birthday! After bidding everyone a good night we headed back to our place. Bella popped one of those tiny little pills and laid on the bed waiting for it to kick in.

"Oh that feels weird." She exclaimed when it must have started to hit. Her eyes dilated a bit from it.

"Is it a good weird or a bad weird? Do you want to-?" She answered my question with a heated kiss. It was so strange, I could actually feel her muscles relaxing. I went slow, returning her kiss and then making my way down her neck. Her body felt flushed, even through her clothes. The prospect of what was about to happen got me excited and I suddenly went for her jeans. I actually had her belt unbuckled before I felt a harsh hand stop my movements. "Oh sorry Bella. You're right, that was too fast. Let me just go back..." The rest of my sentence faded to nothing when I caught sight of her face.

Her eyes were screwed shut and her teeth were gritted in pain. The hold she had on my wrist was getting painful and her muscles were wound as tight as I've ever felt them. It was the locker incident all over again. Except I don't know what caused it. I immediately jumped off her body and went to calm her by her head.

"Bella? Bella hey I stopped ok? I'm not going to try anything else. Bella can you hear me? Tell me what's wrong." She abruptly started to mutter and yell panicked. Like a nightmare but she was awake. I heard a couple 'no's and 'please don't's, even a few 'stop's. I grabbed her face desperately, that always seemed to work with her nightmares. But it just made it so much worse. I was out of options.

I ran outside started yelling for Carlisle. Last time I saw, he was in the common room with the family.

"Carlisle! Carlisle I need you!"

"Hey Alice I'm right here. What's wrong?" I had apparently run right past him in a panic. The whole family was there looking at me concerned.

"It-it's Bella. I don't know what's wrong." He followed me back immediately, leaving the family confused. Once back, he instantly went into action, assessing what was wrong with my mate.

"She's having a horrible panic attack. I've actually never seen one this bad. What caused it? What were you doing?" He asked alarmed, looking up at me.

"I-I don't know! We were about to-to maybe do stuff…."

"You mean sex? Did she take that pill? Did she take more than one?" He was getting more and more worried by the second.

"Yes. But she only took one Carlisle I swear! I watched her do it."

"That-that doesn't make any sense." He said, and went back to observing Bella. "It's the smallest dose there is. Unless… no. No. Oh my god!" His face went from anxious to absolutely horrified in an instant.

"What? Carlisle you're scaring me! Is she ok? Will she be alright? What's wrong with her?" I started to cry under the stress.

"I need to talk to Liam. Now. I'm not sure Alice. I just hope I'm wrong. I'll go get Esme to help you. Keep trying to calm her down. I'll be back." And then he left me, more upset and confused than I was before he entered.

 **Liam POV:**

I almost followed Carlisle back with Alice when she came in in a panic. But I let Carlisle do his job, he was good at it. The rest of the Cullens were still a little concerned with what was happening, but I trusted that he would fix the issue. Maybe Bella accidentally cut herself on something. Or maybe just a bad nightmare. My relaxed state went out the window when Carlisle returned in a terrified fury.

"Liam! My office now!"

"What?" I was confused on why he was angry at me. What did I do?

"OFFICE NOW!"

"Carlisle!" Esme yelled, obviously upset by his tone with me.

"I'm sorry Esme now is not the time! Can you please help Alice try to calm Bella down? Liam and I need to have a chat." Esme jumped up right away and went to Bella's room, leaving the rest of the family in shock. I've never seen Carlisle in a mood like this, it was scary as hell. I followed his orders this time, not wanting to upset him further. He slammed his office door shut right after we entered.

"Carlisle what's this about? What's wrong?" He ignored my questions and gestured for me to sit while he stood facing me.

"Now Liam, I'm going to ask you this one time. Did the Volturi do something to Bella that you two have not been honest about?" All the color left my face. Oh my god what happened? How did he find out? Was Bella ok? "LIAM?"

"Ca-Carlisle I can't. It-it's not my place." I started to tremble when Carlisle began to shake with rage.

"LOOK AT HER! LOOK AT WHAT IT'S DOING TO HER!" He screamed extremely loudly. I'm pretty sure not even his soundproofed walls held that noise in. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down slightly. "It's not helping to keep it a secret anymore. Liam you need to tell me, was she raped?" I finally broke down and started to sob uncontrollably. He was right.

"Yes." He stepped back, staring up at the ceiling in anger.

"How many times?"

"I-I don't know. Too many to count." He slammed a fist on his desk, breaking it in half.

"GOD DAMN IT! FUCK!" I'd never seen a man so livid in my life. He grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me up. "Who? Which one?"

"C-Caius!" I was distraught and a little afraid for my life. But he let go and broke down right in front of me.

"Jesus. Why? Why her?" He wasn't asking me anymore, the question was rhetorical. He cried for a little while, but stood up and took another calming breath. "I-I need you to calm Bella down, and then take her somewhere away from here. And. And I need you tell Alice. This can't be a secret anymore. It's not the best way to do it, but it's not healthy anymore. It's killing her. It-it needs to come out." He resigned at the end of the sentence.

"Carlisle no. It's not our right to say."

"I know Liam. But when it threatens her life and sanity, it does become our responsibility." He looked winded, older even. "Go on now. I'll bring Alice in here." I nodded and stood up to face my fate.

"What the actual fuck is going on?" Emmett yelled right away when we walked out. Everyone was wide-eyed staring us down. Obviously they had heard the screaming from Carlisle's end.

"Not now Emmett." Carlisle waved him down as we walked over towards Bella's room.

Bella was laying on the bed, shivering and mumbling, with Alice cradling her head and Esme holding her hands.

"Alice can you come with me to my office please? Esme, Liam has it from here." Alice hesitantly got up and followed him out, and Esme walked out giving me a concerned look.

"Hey Bells. I'm going to take you to Casa-seguro." Casa-seguro was our code name for the small cottage she had just outside of town. It was a secret getaway spot, hidden away next to the Potomac River. It was a beautiful peaceful little cottage, only used when she needed some quiet time. Obviously it hadn't seen action in months.

I carried her out the back way to her car to avoid any wandering eyes. She eventually came back to during the car ride over. I had to fill her in on everything. She didn't say a word, just stared out the window with glassy eyes. She stayed silent when I dropped her off, and went inside the house slowly. I made my way back, hating what I had to do.

"Where's Bella? What the hell is going on?" Rosalie cornered me right when I came through the door.

"Rosalie I'm sorry. I really can't talk right now." I pushed her off and went to Carlisle's office. There he was, sitting across from a confused looking Alice.

"There he is. I told you he would be back soon." Carlisle said as he got up to leave. He put a gentle hand on my shoulder before making his exit. Obviously he knew how hard this would be.

"Liam what's going on? Carlisle said you took Bella some place safe? What's wrong? Did I do something? Is she ok?" Alice was so scared and worried about my best friend. I didn't want to do this. But Carlisle was right, it was long overdue.

"Um, Alice we need to talk. I need to tell you something, something I probably should have told you a long time ago."

* * *

 **A/N: Yep. Next chapter: Alice's and Rosalie's reactions. Actually really everyone's reactions.**


	52. We'll Make It Through

**Chapter 52:** **We'll Make It Through**

 **Alice POV:**

"Alice? Alice you haven't said anything. Are you still with me?" Liam was calling me, but I didn't care. My insides were screaming in absolute agony.

This couldn't be true. No. The world isn't that fucked up. I must be dead. Yes. Somehow I died and I'm in hell. That's the only explanation for this. There's no way that anything about this is real.

"Alice? Alice dear I need you to respond. I know this is hard to take." Now Carlisle joined the voices trying to break through my personal hell. Time ceased to exist. I might have been sitting here for minutes, hours, or days. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" That got my slight attention. Rosalie had barged into the office screaming at Carlisle.

"Rosalie calm down! How did-how did you even find out?"

"Edward and Jasper are going fucking insane! These walls may be soundproof but they're not fucking 'gift'-proof!" She was completely livid. I'd never seen her so pissed, and especially at Carlisle. "How dare you! You had no right to say anything! That was Bella's, not yours!" She started to jab him with her finger angrily.

"Rosalie, look at what it was doing to her. She would have never said anything, and it would have eaten her alive. It already was. There comes a point when it needs to be said." Carlisle said calmly to her. But she was still beyond furious, she began to yell again.

"You think just because-"

"You knew." I whispered quietly, interrupting her. Something clicked. It all made sense. How Rosalie always seemed to look at her, how she wanted to talk to her, even back when we had our original chat about our problems. It all fit. She knew all along.

"Alice I-"

"You knew." I repeated the words, they were sinking in now. "YOU FUCKING KNEW ALL THIS TIME! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Because it wasn't my place Alice! Look I'm sorry, but it just wasn't right. I know that. I wanted her to tell you, but it wasn't my choice." I knew what she was saying was right, but I didn't care. I had so much anger in me and I needed somewhere to put it. I lunged at her and began to hit as hard as I could, but Liam had grabbed me and pulled me back.

"NO! NO, LET ME GO! I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU!" I was blindly struggling against his arms, my blurry eyes obstructing my vision. But my energy was soon gone from the fight, and I fell back into him sobbing.

"Shhhhhh. I know. I know. Just let it out." He whispered into my hair, holding me tight. His scent reminded me of Bella's and my heart felt like a gunshot went through it.

"I need her. I need Bella. Can-can you take me to her?" He was quiet for a moment at my request, but nodded against my head.

"Yes. Of course. Carlisle can you take over from here?"

"Yes Liam thank you. We'll talk more when you get back." Carlisle gave my shoulder a quick squeeze when Liam led me out. I wasn't paying attention to anything or anyone, just letting myself be steered. Somehow we made it to the car without me even noticing.

Liam didn't say anything on the drive, and I was grateful for it. The only person I wanted to hear was Bella. Finally we pulled up to a cute little cottage up a long concealed drive. There wasn't much to see in the dark, so I wasn't sure exactly how it looked or where I was. Liam walked me to the front door and knocked lightly. Within seconds the door opened to reveal the face I had been craving.

Without thinking, I threw myself at her. I wanted to hold her and never let go. She didn't respond at first, which worried me, but eventually she wrapped her arms around me. Liam bid a quiet goodbye and drove back. Bella and I just stayed in the doorway, bound in our embrace.

"Hey." She said quietly. I started to sob into her chest hysterically. She gently pulled me into the house and rubbed my back soothingly. I must have cried for a good few hours before I actually said something.

"B-Bella. I-I'm s-s-sorry! I-"

"Hey shhhhhh. Shhhh don't say anything." She had moved us so we were sitting down on a bed. It made it easier for her to cradle me while I wept. I continued my sobbing until I just couldn't anymore. "I guess my birthday really is cursed after all." She whispered with a hint of humor, trying to get me to smile. I let out a small watery laugh and squeezed her harder. It really was.

Bella eventually fell asleep after hours of me crying on her. She let out a few small tears as well, but held onto me deep into the night.

When morning came, I finally moved from my position in her arms and got up to make breakfast. There wasn't much to work with in the kitchen, but I managed to make something for my sleeping wolf. She awoke when I was almost finished and wandered over towards me. Now that the sun was up, I could really see how beautiful this little cottage was. It was so open and bright, it surprised me that this was Bella's. Not that she was dark or anything, it was just different.

"Good morning." She had come from behind me while I was cooking and nuzzled herself into my neck.

"Good morning love. This place is so stunning." I turned around to stroke her hair softly. Looking into her eyes was much different for me now. They had always held so much pain, but now I understood it a little more.

"It is isn't it?" She said while taking her surroundings in. "I haven't been here in ages. I was actually thinking about taking you here on a weekend trip sometime soon. Obviously this isn't exactly the way I wanted us to enjoy it." Bella sighed, bringing up the inevitable. "Alice I-"

"Shhhh. How about you eat first? We can talk later. We have time." I had put a finger to her mouth to hush her. She nodded and took the plate I handed her. I sat down while she ate quietly.

"Alice, I am so sorry. I should have told you. I just-I just couldn't." She ended with watery eyes and looked down at her lap. I grabbed her chin and pulled it up gently.

"Bella, you don't need to explain anything to me. You should not be sorry. This in no way is your fault. Bella look at me." She was avoiding my gaze.

"I just." She started to really cry now while finally meeting my eyes. "I just thought you wouldn't want me anymore. Or think less of me." Now that got me crying.

"Oh my god no. Come here." I wrapped my arms around to calm her down. "Bella, don't you _ever_ feel badly for what happened to you. I love you so fucking much. And I absolutely hate that someone made you feel this way. That is my fault. But of course I don't think any less of you. Why would I?"

"Because I'm supposed to be strong. I'm the protector. Not the weak one." Her voice came out muffled from where she was on my shoulder. Every word she said was breaking my heart even more. I ran a hand through her hair while my other rubbed her back.

"Hey, you are _not_ weak. You are the strongest person I know. But Bella, you don't have to be the hero all the time. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Not ever." We both stayed in our embrace, sobbing for a long time. Eventually we were both exhausted from it all, the worst was over. "How about I make a fire?" I asked, eyeing the beautiful fireplace in the living room.

"Yeah that'd be nice." She leaned back, wiping her eyes. I gave her a small kiss and went to go get supplies. We would make it through this.

* * *

 **Bella POV:**

Alice was being so nice about the whole thing. I still felt disgusting. For what happened and then for lying to her about it for so long. She was perfect, and I was the worst.

"Bells. You're zoning out on me. What's on your mind?"

"I don't deserve you." Alice got up from her spot on the floor and took the mug of tea from my hands, replacing it her hands.

" _I_ don't deserve _you_. The amount of times I have fucked up this relationship is truly too many to count. And you are so loving and understanding." She leaned up to give me what I presumed would be a chaste kiss, but a sudden urgency ran through my body and I grabbed her face heatedly. I pulled us both up in the standing position and shoved my tongue into her mouth. I have no idea why I was suddenly so eager, but I just wanted to show her how much I loved her. "Mmmm. Bella. Not that I don't enjoy this, but are you sure?" She had pushed me back slightly to check if I was ok.

"Yes. I love you, and I trust you completely. In fact, I want to show you." I took her right hand, kissed it lightly, and then moved it down my body.

"Bella no. No, I understand why now. Please don't do anything that will make you uncomfortable because you think I want it." She had tried to pull her hand away, but I kept it in my grip.

"I'm not. I promise. I'm not afraid anymore. Not with you. You are not them. You are nothing like them. See? See how my muscles aren't tense anymore?" She glanced me up and down to confirm what I said. "I love you. Please let me show you." I continued to maneuver her hand down further.

"Bella."

"Alice please." She finally stopped struggling when I kissed her passionately. Once her hand had reached its destination, she let out a feral growl and pushed me against the wall. I had almost forgotten the feeling of someone inside of me, it was glorious.

Alice was stripping us of clothing at a record pace. It was so very hot and I was losing it fast.

"Don't hold on. Let go. I know you want to." She growled into my neck. Her fingers were moving at the perfect speed and pressure, and she was right, I was holding on. So I did what she said and let go, to have what I'm sure would be my first of many orgasms of the evening.

"Oh fuck." I gasped out, leaning against the wall sweating and out of breath. Alice had withdrawn her hand and was sensually sucking on her fingers while I recovered. Great now I'm aroused again. Her nostrils flared at the smell and I bit my lip in anticipation.

"This might be a while. Wanna move to the bed?" A lazy smile spread across my face.

"Yes please."

* * *

"Oh god we should have been doing this months ago." I breathed out while laying back down on the mattress. It had been a wonderful few hours, and I was absolutely exhausted. I'd never seen Alice smile so much, it was beautiful. She looked like she was on cloud nine, and I was with her.

"Mmmmmm. I don't care. If you're happy, I'm happy." She was lying across from me, propped up on her elbow.

"You look so gorgeous right now." I mirrored her position to enjoy the view more.

"Nothing on you babe. This is literally the best night of my life." She whispered lightly. I was so in love with this woman across from me right now. Everything about her was stunning. I wanted her to mine forever.

"Marry me."


	53. Perfection

**Chapter 53:** **Perfection**

 **Bella POV:**

Holy fuck what is wrong with me? Do I have no control over my mouth whatsoever? I had a plan! It was going to be romantic and sweet! Not blurting that shit out right after hours of sex. I really hate myself. This is just like when I told her I loved her. I am the worst.

"What?" Her eyes were practically bugging out of her head.

"Shit Alice I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. Really I-"

"Did-did you just ask me to-to _marry_ you?" I could not get a good read on her facial expressions. Was she pleased or mad at me?

"I had a plan. I was going to ask you in Biloxi and it would be all romantic and shit. Really I have thought about this." I got up and walked over to my forgotten jeans, digging for the ring. Once I had it, I slowly wandered back over to her side of the bed. "For some time now. I even asked for Carlisle's permission and everything." She sat up, eyes still wide. I really wish I knew what she was thinking right now. "Look I know this isn't really the best way to do this, naked and in bed." I let out a small chuckle and got down on one knee in front of her. I heard her intake of breath. "Alice I love you. And nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you. So will you, Alice Cullen, marry me?"

She was quiet for a moment and my heartrate went skyrocketing. But my worries were melted away when she tackled me to the ground and let out an ear piercing squeal.

"YES! YESSSSSSS! I love you I love you I love you!"

"Alright you gotta let me up so I can put it on you love." I laughed out as she barraged my face with kisses. She jumped off me and held out her left hand patiently. I carefully placed it on her ring finger and she let out another small squeal.

"Bella it's beautiful." She pulled my face up to give me a kiss and then went back to admiring the ring. "When did you get it?"

"Uhhhhh." I rubbed my neck uncomfortably. "A while ago." A sly smile crossed her face.

"Mmmhhmmmm…"

"Alright alright shush. It's not important."

"No you're right. Wow. We're engaged. Now, you better have some energy left over because we're having hot engagement sex. And you can't say no to your fiancée." I chuckled and kissed her, pushing us both back into bed.

"Yes ma'am."

 **Alice POV:**

I was wrong before. This _now_ was the best night of my life. It was hard to believe where I was currently. Considering the events of the past 72 hours. But here I am, with the most exquisite ring wrapped around my finger and the most gorgeous girl wrapped around my side.

She was sleeping right now, which was much needed after all the activities of the day. I can't believe she was carrying this ring around for so long. For how long, I may never know. But I have a feeling it was a long time. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else in the world. Just one year ago we were about to leave Bella, supposedly forever. I was miserable. Never did I think I would be in this position just one year later.

I had to leave for a short hunting trip during, so I decided to go shopping as well. There really was barely any food and we might spend some time here. All of the problems were back home. I kept my trips quick, and made it back in time just before Bella woke up. I jumped into the warm bed to snuggle her awake.

"Good morning my wonderful fiancée." I whispered softly into her ear. Her face broke into a smile before she opened her eyes.

"Well good morning to you too." She propped herself up and gave me a gentle kiss. "Wow."

"Wow what?" I sat up, confused by her comment.

"We've been engaged for hours now and you haven't already started to plan a wedding. Are you feeling alright?" I bit my lip in embarrassment.

"Actually I already have a plan."

"I knew it! I knew it I knew it. So…. How long have you been planning this wedding Alice?" I pushed her back against the bed in annoyance.

"Oh go away. It's not like that. It's just a plan. If you're ok with it." She furrowed her eyebrows at in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I be ok with it? I know I'm not the most extravagant person, but I would do anything for you. Anything you want, you'll get." I reached out to touch her face softly.

"You are the sweetest. But I had something else in mind. Ever since I've been with you, I've realized the best things are enjoyed when they're raw and simple."

"Ok…" She said confusedly, not knowing where I was going.

"So, here's my plan if you're game. I would like to surprise you. Just any old day, I want to just get married. Not on any cliché day or something. And I'd clear your work and stuff. But I want to surprise you and just say hey let's get married today."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. If you're ok with it obviously. I just want to married to you. I don't care about a big party or anything. I only want you."

"Mmmmm. I love you." She gave me another kiss.

"And then we can go on a romantic honeymoon. Maybe Isle Esme again? But for much longer than a week." She started to nuzzle herself into my neck.

"Mhmmm. That sounds perfect." She mumbled distractedly. Obviously someone was hungry for something more than food this morning. I couldn't blame her, it was a good day already.

"If you keep kissing me like this, I may just say screw and let's go to Isle Esme now." She had my back pressed against the mattress and her whole body pushed on mine.

"Do it." She growled out before sucking on my breasts roughly. I moaned out and grabbed her head, wanting and needing her lips.

"You need a haircut."

"Is that really what's on your mind right now?" She asked with a hint of amusement.

"Well it's getting long. And I like running my hands through it. So yeah." I ran my hands through it again and tugged on it for good measure.

"Fine. You can cut it later today. But I'm enjoying it right now so pipe down." I giggled and did as she said. Bella made her way back down to my breasts, giving each nipple a love bite, and then down my abdomen.

"Bellaaaaaa."

"Hey. You had enough control last night. It's my turn. Besides, you can give my long hair one last good tug." She nipped at my thigh as I protested. But I gave in and embedded my hands into that mess I loved so much. Without warning, her tongue dipped right into me while her thumb teased my clit.

"Fuck Bella." My nails clawed at her scalp. Sometimes I wondered if her imprint gave her special powers when it came to reading my body. Because I swear the things she does to me are just not possible. She was sucking and biting me into mewling mess. "Oh baby so close. Harder." She obeyed and added her fingers. She was pumping faster and faster and I was on the verge. "Oh god Bella!" I cried out once she pushed me over. I collapsed back against the bed as she continued to lick everything up hungrily, and then make her way back up to my lips. But instead of giving me a nice kiss like usual after a good orgasm, she picked me up in one fell swoop and carried me to the bathroom. "Bella what-?"

"We're taking a shower so you can cut my hair." I grinned at my thoughtful fiancée. The bathroom was just as bright and cheery as the rest of the house. I wouldn't mind staying here for more than a few days at all.

* * *

"Alright how does it look?" I asked, stepping back from my work. Bella got up and went to the nearest mirror, running her hands through her now much neater and shorter looking hair.

"It looks really good Al. You do have good taste."

"Well I am dating you." She chuckled and leaned down to give me a kiss. "Ok! I'm going to clean this all up and then we can watch a movie? Huh? Just like the old days with our sleepovers."

"Yeah but I couldn't grope you during those." She said with a lopsided grin in place.

"Well you could, but Edward might have killed us both." She grunted and went to go change her shirt while I cleaned up the cut hair.

"Alice it's ringing again." Bella called from the dresser. She was talking about my phone that I had been ignoring ever since I got here.

"Let it ring."

"You know we have to go back at some point. I have a job." She said while coming back over to me.

"I know. And I actually like how you like your job. If that makes sense. But really can't we just have some alone time. I mean, do you really want to go back to that right now? Everyone knows." I ended quietly. Just because it was all out in the open did not make it any less sensitive.

"Not particularly no. I'm just saying at some point. And maybe your family would like to know you're engaged?"

"Ah let them wait. This family knows too damn much anyways. By the way." I changed my joking tone to a more serious one. "You never mentioned the fact that Rosalie knew about-about you." She sighed and looked down ashamedly.

"I didn't tell her anything. She just kind of guessed and I told her I didn't want to talk about it. So she stayed away from it." I pulled her face back with my fingers and kissed her gently.

"Come on. Let's watch a movie in front of the fire. Fiancée."

"How many times are you going to say that a day?" Bella asked me, back to her old humorous self.

"Oh at least a hundred. Until you're my _wife_."

"Mmmm. I like the sound of that." She pounced on me and the movie was forgotten.

 **Three Days Later**

The past few days have been incredible. They've been filled with giggling, relaxation, fun, and plenty of sex. But now we're back in a stupid car Bella had to rent, driving back towards all the drama.

"I don't want to go back." I pouted like a small child in the passenger's seat while Bella drove. She chuckled lowly and took my hand with her free one.

"I know. But we have to. It'll be fine. Besides, I miss Esme's cooking." She teased and I punched her arm lightly.

"Hey! I cook great! Ugh. Alright but I'm just letting it be known right now that I warned you against going back."

"Noted. But I can take it. It's time."

"Carlisle's going to want to talk." She nodded. "Rosalie is going to talk." She nodded again. "Esme is going to be crying." She cringed but nodded again. "Bella! What can I say to get you to turn this car around right now?"

"Nothing my dear."

"Ugh. I thought that might be your answer." I skulked for the rest of the drive.

I felt her muscles tense once we pulled into the security gate and got through. She let out a sigh once we parked and looked at me.

"Here goes."

* * *

 **A/N: Heads up, updates will be slower this week. It's my last week of college and literally everything is due. But I'm almost free.**


	54. Kiss Me Goodbye

**Chapter 54:** **Kiss Me Goodbye**

 **Bella POV:**

Alice and I got out of the car slowly. I could already feel the tension thick in the air and was regretting my decision to come back. Alice squeezed my hand for support as we walked into the lounge room where we heard the most voices. I got one good look of a bunch of faces before I was crushed in a hug from none other than Esme.

"Bella! Oh we missed you so much!" She was taking in my appearance for any distress and touched my face in a motherly way.

"Ok can we let her breath for a second?" Alice said, obviously peeved by Esme wanting to check my health. In Alice's mind, that was her job.

"Oh yes of course." She reluctantly let go and stepped back from me. It was so awkward. Everyone was here and looking weird. Actually not everyone was here.

"Um where are Jasper and Emmett?" I asked the room. They all shifted uncomfortably.

"They're kind of busy right now." Carlisle said, not helping my confusion whatsoever. "After-after they found out, they kind of went crazy and tried to hunt down the Volturi. Obviously it would not have turned out well, so we tried to stop them but they were really out of it. Eventually Liam had to step in and they're currently in isolation until they're cooled off."

"Wait, what?" My mind was reeling at this new information. I felt horrible.

"Really they're almost completely calmed down now. But it might help if you went to talk to them later."

"Shit I'll talk to them right now!"

"Actually I would like to talk to you in private first and then we can go talk to the boys." Alice let out a small whine at Carlisle's request, but let me go when I went to follow him to his office. "Please take a seat Bella." I internally groaned at this upcoming conversation as I took my seat across from Carlisle's desk.

"Alright Carlisle. Let's get this over with." He sighed and looked at me sincerely. He really did appear as though he aged in these past few days. It made me feel guilty but also kind of grateful that my pain had affected him this much. He really did take on the role of my father.

"Bella there isn't anything to get over with. I'm concerned that you may not be properly letting your emotions run as they should. Victims of similar _heinous_ acts have many psychological problems years after, most times forever."

"Carlisle if you're telling me I'm not all sane, you're not the first to that party." I said trying to lighten the mood. But he just frowned, annoyed at my attitude.

"Look Bella I want to meet with you regularly to have some type of therapy sessions-"

"Aw come on Carlisle! No that's so weird."

"I'm not asking Bella." Well shit. That would be my future father putting his foot down. "Alice can come too. It might help. And I also want you to talk with Rosalie later today." I groaned in defeat and nodded at him reluctantly. "Alright then. Now that that's settled, let's go see Emmett and Jasper." He led me back out and Alice immediately took my hand.

"That was quick." She whispered amazed at the speed of the meeting.

"Not so much. We've got therapy. And I have to speak to Rosalie later." She shrugged at the therapy and continued to walk with us down towards where we kept super naturals for questioning. I was feeling worse with each passing second. These poor guys have been held down here because of their care for me. Carlisle unlocked the main room and I was once again tackled by a Cullen. Does this family not know how to contain themselves? I've been dating Alice long enough to know the answer to that is a big fat no.

"Emmett!" Alice grabbed her bear man of a brother and pulled him off me so I could breathe.

"I'm fine." I wheezed out, rubbing my sore ribs. "Hey Emmett, Jasper." I nodded to them both wincing painfully.

"Bella we tried to go get those fuckers. But they stopped us." Emmett growled out at Carlisle, obviously still pissed. I sighed and asked Alice and Carlisle to leave us for a few minutes. Once it was just Emmett, Jasper, and I, Jasper jumped up and started saying stuff I'd never thought I'd hear him say.

"It's fucked up Bella! I have never wanted to kill someone so much in my life. But I don't just want to kill them. I want them to experience more pain than anything you have ever felt."

"Easy Jasper. First off, you're going to have to get in line." I said lightly, but really I wanted them to know I was first in line to kill Caius and Aro. Then I changed my tone for the both of them. "But more importantly, and I mean this in the nicest way, you both would be slaughtered in an instant. Listen, the Volturi have numbers and powers and gifted individuals pouring out their systems. An army of highly trained and old vampires that don't fuck around. So all you would be doing is just proving their power and hurting your family." I scratched my head uncomfortably. "What happened to me sucks, but I don't want you getting killed over it. So please can you promise not to do anything stupid? For me? I'm the one that's going to kill them eventually." They both looked down sadly and nodded.

"Anything for you Bells." Emmett said, pulling me into a much gentler hug.

"Thank you guys." I knocked on the door for Carlisle to open up.

"Are we all good?" He asked, studying his two sons.

"Yep! All good." I said happily and pushed him aside to hug my fiancée. "Do you think we could meet upstairs for a family meeting real quick?" I asked, eyeing Alice to let her know my plan. She winked.

"Yeah sure." We all walked upstairs slowly and Carlisle called for everyone to come over. "Family meeting everyone!" God they all look horrible. Rosalie looked particularly bitchy, but soft at me, Esme still on the verge of tears, and Edward just looked downright depressed. Yeah. I think they need this pick-me-up. "What's this about girls?"

"Uh. Alice would you like to do the honors?" I couldn't take this away from her. She had been keeping her hand buried in her pocket ever since we arrived. She nodded happily and turned to everyone with a huge smile on her face.

"Well…. WE'RE ENGAGED!" She yelled and finally pulled her hand out, flashing the ring to everyone. "Dammit Emmett!" Alice had to yell once again at her overjoyed brother who tackled me for the millionth time.

"Ow shit!" He actually broke a rib this time. Alice threw him off harshly and picked me up carefully. "Fuck Emmett! Are you trying to kill me?"

"Crap I'm sorry Bells! I just got really excited about you marrying my sister and officially becoming part of the family. Shit I am so sorry." He did seem to be apologetic. Carlisle was already tending to my side.

"No worries. It was a clean break. No need to reset anything. It will be healed within the day, just ice it." It always amazed me how fast he could diagnose issues. I'm very glad he's my doctor.

"Thanks Carlisle." Alice said when placing her hand over my side to cool it down.

"My baby's getting married!" Esme was so conflicted because she couldn't hug the both of us now with my injury. After a round of many congratulations, Rosalie dragged me away for our dreaded talk.

"First off, I want to congratulate you again Bella. You and Alice are perfect together and I've never seen my sister so happy in my time with her." She sat us down on my bed, probably figuring I'd be more comfortable in my room. I nodded, waiting for the bad part. She took a deep breath before starting again. "Bella I'm so sorry about everything. About what happened to you, and then Carlisle outing you. I would have never done that and you know. I wanted you to come to terms with it on your own time."

"I know Rosalie. Thank you for everything you've done. But as much as I hate to say it, I think Carlisle was right. I would have never said anything and it would have torn Alice and me apart. Actually I feel a lot better considering. I know it's going to be uncomfortable for a while, but really I do feel a thousand times lighter. And Alice and I have never been better." She pulled me into a hug but had to let go quickly because I let out an involuntary cry of pain.

"Oops sorry Bella. Sorry my monkey man has no restraint over himself." We both laughed and she gave my shoulder one last squeeze before getting up to leave. "My door is always open if you want to talk."

"Thanks Rose." The moment she walked out, Alice burst through the door way and jumped on the bed.

"I think the worst is over. Now I can enjoy being back home with you." She leaned in to kiss me while I giggled at her eagerness. But right when things were about to get heated, a knock went through my door and the monotone voice of Colt rang through.

"Swan we need to talk."

"Dammit! This is why we shouldn't have left!" Alice yelled exasperated. I chuckled again and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"It won't be long Al. It's Colt and he's all business." She still pouted when I left. "My office or yours sir?" I asked once outside.

"Yours is good. It's closer and this should be short." I nodded and led him to my office where I did all my paperwork and research. I wasn't sure where to sit because he was my superior, but he sat in the guest chair so I figured it would be alright to sit in mine behind the desk.

"So, what's this about?"

"I just wanted to check in on you and see how you're doing. I know you're very much like me and don't like to talk about things, which I respect, but I need to let you know that I'm always here. I know Carlisle will be doing those sessions with you, but if you need some more time off work for some-"

"No!" I interrupted immediately. I really missed work. "No I don't need any more time. Just some nice time for my honeymoon?" He chuckled and got up to shake my hand.

"There's a reason why you're my best. Alright back to work tomorrow?"

"Yep!" I stood up as well and took his hand eagerly. "Pleasure to be back sir."

"Pleasure to have you." We both left and I wandered over towards Alice who was sitting on the couch and talking to Liam.

"Hey beautiful." I sat on the sofa right behind her and gave her a small peck.

"That _was_ fast. What's the scoop?" She turned to face me happily.

"Back in the grind starting tomorrow morning."

"Oh thank god. I cannot do your job." Liam said relieved.

"Well you're going to have to eventually when we go on our honeymoon." He looked sour for a moment but then shrugged.

"Just don't leave me your reports. That stuff is way too complex for me."

"Sure thing. Now if you'll excuse us, Alice and I haven't had a second to breathe." He chuckled as we left for some well-deserved alone time.

"Well it wasn't the worst day back." She sighed, sitting down on one of my lounge chairs. I was busy making myself a drink to settle down for the evening.

"That it was not. But I'm happy to be back with you. So, how did your family react to your wedding plan?"

"Esme was a little upset about not having a grand wedding with her there, and I think Rosalie was really surprised. But all in all everyone was just happy for us." I was still amazed that this plan came out of Alice Cullen's mouth. She has changed since we started dating. And so have I.

"That's good." I sat down next to her with drink in hand. "Pretty soon I'll be one of those strange Cullens."

"Actually." Alice bit her lip and took my free hand with hers. "How would you feel about me becoming a Swan?"

"Really?" That threw me for a loop. She never mentioned her wanting to take my last name. Not that I was opposed to it or anything. I've just always thought the plan was for me to be a Cullen, even when I was with Edward. "Why?"

"There are too many Cullens. And I actually really want to take your last name. I-I don't want the Swan name to just disappear. I want to be one. I want to be more connected with you." Her words were so loving I just had to kiss her.

"Of course Alice. I already told you, anything you want is yours. I'm just surprised is all."

"Well I love you. And I want us to be our own family." That brought a grimace to my face.

"Alice we can't really make-"

"I know. But the two of us are a family. With Liam and Zoey as well." I smiled and she kissed me softly. I leaned back in my chair, much calmer now we were clear of the family subject. "But, out of curiosity, when you were human, did-did you ever think about having kids." I sighed and settled on telling her the truth.

"I don't know. I mean I was only 18 before, so kids weren't really on my mind. But yeah probably I might have wanted children eventually. Not anymore though. Not like this."

"What do you mean not like this?" She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.

"I couldn't be a parent now. I'm not a good person for that." I looked down in shame. It was true, I could never raise a child with my morals and record.

"Bella." She grabbed my chin with her fingers and pulled it up. "You are a good person. Look at what you do on a daily basis. Please don't think of yourself as the monster the Volturi paint you to be. You are so much better." She kissed me tenderly and I pulled her in my lap. I removed her shirt and she was just unbuttoning mine when a loud alarm went off in my room. It was the alarm that signaled an important mission that needed immediate attention. "Is someone playing a joke on us?!" Alice hopped off me angrily and pulled on her discarded shirt.

"Sorry love. Duty calls." I jumped up out of my chair and jogged out of my room. Liam was outside of his looking groggy and pulling on his shoes.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" He asked me, sleepy eyes squinting into the light.

"No clue." Alice came out behind me to see what was going on as well.

"Jackson, Swan, Christmas came early this year. Got a big one for you." Colt came in looking real pleased. Liam still grunted annoyed at his interrupted sleep. "Volturi guards are on their last legs for the compound. You take them out, we got complete control. I've already rounded up the best, just need you two ready and we're good to go." Alice grabbed my hand nervously when the news got out. I turned and cupped her face gently.

"I'll be fine Al. Never gotten seriously hurt on a mission before. And we have the best this time. I'll be back before you know it." She still looked anxious, but nodded.

"Just be safe. And don't do anything stupid Bella. I mean it." She pointed her finger knowingly at me. I blushed ashamed and ran to go get changed. "God I forgot how good you look in uniform." Alice purred while I was lacing my boots.

"Hey don't start me right now. I promise to take care of you right when I get back. But right now I have work." She rolled her eyes but stopped ogling me up and down.

"Alright Carlisle you're on standby! Let's go!" Colt called out impatiently. Liam was wide awake now. It was finally happening. We were taking Volturi property, a massive win.

"Bella!" Alice yelled as I was about to head outside towards the flight line. Oh of course. How could I forget? I turned around and she jumped into my arms for a desperate goodbye kiss. "Please stay safe. I love you."

"I love you too. Don't you worry one bit. I'll be back. I promise."

* * *

 **A/N: Well I lied. Not really though. Apparently when I have a lot of things do, it makes me write and think about this story much much more. So much more in fact, that I can tell you that the final chapter will be 58. That's right. We're close. I haven't written them yet, but I have all the summaries and big points down. The end is near. Twists and turns around every corner, you can try to guess but you will not succeed. Anyways, I bid you goodnight and have a happy day. :)**


	55. Bite Down

**Chapter 55:** **Bite Down**

 **Alice POV:**

Watching the jet Bella was on leave was agonizing. I don't care what she says, I'll always worry about her safety, especially when the name Volturi is involved.

"She'll be fine Alice. That girl of yours is a tough one." I jumped at the sound of Colt's voice behind me. How long had he been watching me look like a lost puppy? I turned and smiled to him, he really wasn't the type to say such comforting things.

"Thank you. I know that. But one can never worry too much about their mate." He chuckled and scratched his head.

"Come on, follow me. I know what will make you feel better." I was confused but did as I was told and followed him willingly. He was leading me into rooms I had never been in before, only ever seen Bella and Liam enter under security. But Colt was waiving me through all that, eventually stopping in a large, what appeared to be mission control room. There were screens everywhere and multiple people talking on headsets. It looked like a modern version of what the mission control rooms were like during the space race.

"Carlisle?" My eyes were drawn to my father sitting in one of the chairs, over a monitor and some charts.

"Alice! What are you doing here?" Carlisle looked surprised and glanced up at Colt.

"She seemed a little preoccupied over Bella's safety. I thought this might ease her stress." He explained to my befuddled father.

"Ah. Don't worry one bit sweetheart. Your fiancée is as solid as a rock." Carlisle said gently to me before continuing his work.

"And once the big show starts, we'll be able to hear everything." Colt said, pointing to a nearby cluster of desks that seemed to have the most amount of people on headsets.

"Wow. This is amazing!" I exclaimed, taking everything in.

"Here have a seat next to Carlisle." Colt pulled a chair out for me so I could observe. Carlisle seemed to have both Bella and Liam's vitals on the screen in front of him and was recording them every once in a while. Everything from heart rate and blood pressure, to body temperature and oxygen levels.

"How do you have all that?" I asked curiously. Bella tried not to talk about her more dangerous missions in front of me because she knew I was bothered by it. But now I'm realizing how little I actually know about what goes on during them.

"Special wristbands. S.T.E. designed them and I suggested a few features for my benefit. Makes my job much easier." Carlisle explained while still taking notes.

"Alright radios look alive. ETA is fifteen minutes." Colt called out, aiming his voice at the previous cluster of tables. I scooted my way over towards them. That seems to be where I want to be when the time comes.

Time flew by impossibly fast. I watched the big screen above with their locations as small dots. The small dots were getting closer and closer to a large red circle, I assumed the objective. Everyone was all business and honestly it was making me more nervous. Carlisle noticed this and went over to put a hand on my shoulder.

"Relax Alice. Everything will be fine. And if it isn't, that's why I'm here."

"Thank you Carlisle." He did make me feel slightly better. But suddenly everyone started moving and talking fast. They had landed.

"How's it looking down there?" Colt asked into a receiver.

 _"Not too bad sir. Got some vampires here and there but nothing horrific."_ Bella's wonderful voice answered through the other end. Almost all my worries were melted away.

"Sounds good. Try not to get hurt. Your girl is listening in eagerly." He said smiling my way.

 _"Hey Al! I'll keep my shenanigans to a minimum now."_ I giggled in spite of the situation. Bella always knew how to make me laugh.

She couldn't talk much during a lot of the fighting, but checked in every once in a while with their progress. Pretty soon they were down to the last guards.

"Nice and easy Swan. No time for mistakes now." I was watching their heartrates increase steadily with each minute of fighting. It was almost over.

 _"Three more!"_ Bella was panting hard and it also sounded like she was ordering someone in the background. _"Liam I got this one can you get-LIAM NO!"_ There was a loud crashing sound and the receiver went out. My stomach dropped to the floor in fear.

"Swan? Hey what's going on? Can you read me? Are you receiving? Swan can you-?"

 _"Bella's down."_ Liam's fatigued voice finally answered. My mouth went completely dry.

"She's dead?" Colt stuttered out, confused on how everything changed so quickly. I clutched at my necklace. She didn't feel dead, but there was something definitely wrong.

 _"No. I-I tried to take two at the same time and-and Bella stopped them be-before they killed me. But Bella got bit. Bit really really badly."_ Colt swore aloud and Carlisle began to work frantically. _"Colt I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."_ Liam whispered in defeat. Oh no. Not again. Please not again.

"Do you have control of the post?"

 _"Yes sir. They're all dead now."_

"Ok. The rest of the unit will stay there for some time while we get our supplies in. I need you to rush her back as fast as you possibly can. I'll contact the pilot and tell him to spare nothing. Hopefully we can get her back before anything starts."

 _"Yes sir. But please be aware she is bleeding a lot. I'm not sure how much longer she can go at this rate."_ Liam's voice was getting shakier and shakier. I could tell he had picked Bella up now and was running. Carlisle took over the radio now.

"I can take care of it Liam. Just get her home. Try to put pressure on the wound with some cloth or something."

 _"Copy that."_

"Alright Carlisle how is she looking?" Colt had gotten off the radio and went over to Carlisle's station to assess how Bella was doing.

"Well her heartrate is pretty steady, she's probably a little out of it from the rate of blood loss and shock. Her body temperature is getting higher from it trying to combat the wound. Those are my main concerns right now until she gets here. Do you have an ETA on that?"

"Flight planners are working on it. I also sent a message down to medical so they can bring your bag and supplies up. I take it you want her in her room?"

"Yes. That would be best. Alice, do you think you can be here this time?" Carlisle asked me sternly. I deserved that after what happened last time. But this was not going to be a repeat. If I even want to try to be her wife, I need to know how to take care of her during the worst. I took a deep breath and nodded up at him.

"Yes sir. I can do this."

"Ok then. Let's go to the flight line and wait for their plane. I'm going to need to work on her right away, and you'll need to keep her steady." He got up and I followed him on his heels.

"Is something wrong honey?" Esme noticed something was awry right away when we walked past the lounge.

"Bella got bit." Carlisle said shortly before continuing his fast walk towards outside. Esme gasped and Rosalie looked sick. "Jasper you should probably go hunting now." He called right before exiting the room. Jasper didn't need to be told twice. He got up quickly and ran for the forest.

"Alice? Are you going to be ok?" Emmett asked, obviously wondering if he should drag me out now.

"Yes. I'm not leaving her side." I followed Carlisle's tracks and met up with him on the flight line.

"ETA is two minutes doc." A young man with a headset called out. I began to search the skies for the incoming plane. Exactly two minutes later a jet landed and Liam jumped out of it with my mate in his arms almost the second it finally stopped moving.

"She's fading fast Carlisle. I tried to stop the bleeding as much as I could, but the bite is absolutely brutal." Liam explained as he showed her the wound on her neck. I gasped in horror. Half of her neck was almost completely ripped to shreds.

"Jesus it is. This vampire was going for the damage." Carlisle said while motioning Liam to follow him inside. I jogged trying to keep up. "Alright set her down on the bed Liam." A nurse had already dropped off all of Carlisle's tools and an IV drip. Once Liam had gently laid her down, I positioned myself right behind her as her backrest. Her heartbeat was barely even audible to my ears now.

"Carlisle." I said with gritted teeth, trying not to panic.

"I know Alice. Just stay calm." He leaned over and began his work on her neck right away. "Alice can you take off her jacket please?" Her outer coat was covered in blood and I removed it gently to reveal a blood soaked under shirt. Fuck that's not good. "Liam can you get me some fluids as well? They only gave me morphine." He nodded and ran out the room. Bella was beginning to stir and whimper. I held her tighter against my chest.

"I'm right here love. I'm not going anywhere ok? Just stay with me. Keep fighting. You're doing so well." Carlisle stepped back and I saw her neck was already stitched. I had never been so grateful that my father was an excellent doctor. He began to work on attaching the IV to her arm. By now Bella was really starting to struggle and cry out in pain.

"Keep doing what you're doing Alice. It's only just starting." Liam finally ran back in with the fluids and handed them to Carlisle, who put them up on the drip system right away.

"No! No get away!" Bella mumbled as she thrashed in my arms. "Please. Go away. Don't. Don't touch me. Please stop." It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was hallucinating. I clutched onto her and whispered loving words into her hair, cursing Caius for everything he'd done to her in my mind. Carlisle looked up at us from his work miserably, obviously bothered by it was well.

Bella's muttering turned to growling, which turned to screams and yells. But I kept my promise and held her through it all. I was crying and praying for it to end, and eventually it did. But it had taken all her energy with it. She was fading to sleep in my arms pretty fast.

"Alice I set her up with enough morphine to last through the night. Call me if you need anything." I nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' to him as he left us.

"I thought you had a promise to keep Bella." I whispered to her softly. A small rumble of a laugh went through her chest and she croaked out at me weakly.

"I did come back didn't I?"


	56. Stand By Me

**Chapter 56:** **Stand By Me**

 **Alice POV:**

 **A Couple Months Later**

The past several weeks have been super busy here. Bella has been drowning in a pile of paperwork on a daily basis. While the victory over the Volturi was needed, it brought on a lot of extra work. I decided that Bella needed a well-deserved vacation and scheduled our Biloxi trip for the very next day. This poor trip has been put off so many times for so many reasons, it was nice to finally be going.

"Alright Liam, I took care of almost all my reports so you don't need to worry about any extra work." Bella said as she was carrying our bags to the car. "And we'll only be gone for a long weekend."

"No worries Bella. Just have fun you two. But not too much fun." He winked our way before leaving us in the garage alone.

"Come on Bells. Time to take a load off and relax with me." I said softly to her. She was obviously having some issues in letting go.

"You're right. I'm sorry Alice. I know these past few weeks have been hard on you as well. Thank you for getting me to relax." She smiled and took my hand briefly before letting it go to open the car door for me.

The trip to the local airport was brief, and the plane ride itself was pretty short as well. It was now June, so the American south greeted us with that lovely humidity. Luckily the sky was muggy so there was no need for an umbrella to shy away from the sun. Bella led me to the rent-a-car, a nice convertible we could have some fun in later. She was always so thoughtful.

"Hotel first and then exploring?" She asked once we got into the vehicle.

"Yes that sounds like a plan." I was suddenly nervous. What if I found out something that I didn't like? Sensing my unrest, Bella took my hand on the drive and gave it a comforting squeeze.

We checked in rather quickly and set our stuff down before heading out again. I wanted to start where my new life had begun. Where I had woken up in that forest so many years ago. For some reason I still remembered exactly where it was. Like it was calling me there.

Bella followed me quietly deep into the forest. Finally I stopped, reaching the spot. I kneeled down and touched the Earth, a strange emotion flowing through me. It wasn't sorrow, but it most definitely wasn't anywhere near joy. Bella kept a distance, unsure of how or if she should comfort me.

"Alice?" She asked tentatively from her spot.

"I'm fine." I got up and dusted the dirt from my jeans. My eyes had filled with tears without me even noticing. "Just taking a moment." She slowly made her way towards me, watching for any signs not to. "You know you were the first vision I ever had. Before Carlisle or anything, it was you. It's always been you." I whispered, finally looking up into her eyes. Bella reached her hand out to cup my face gently, obviously bothered by my pain but touched by my words. "I love you Bella."

"I love you too Al." She kissed me tenderly before stepping back again. "Are you sure you want to-?"

"Yes." I interrupted her before she could finish. "Yes I do. Which way did you say was the old asylum?" Bella pointed southward and followed me as I led. We eventually reached a decrepit building covered in various plant life and graffiti.

It was run down, probably hadn't seen use in about fifty years or so. All the windows were gone and half the roof had caved in, causing bricks to be scattered around the ground every which way. It appeared to be about three stories and included a basement, obviously a large institution in its prime. I hesitated at the entrance, still unsure of my decision.

"Here goes right?" I asked nervously out loud. Bella took my hand again and tugged it forward as encouragement.

We wandered around in complete silence. If I were human I probably would have been terrified of this place. It had this stale stillness that just made you know there were horrible acts committed here. I've never been so happy that I couldn't remember my human life.

Dirt and mud covered the ground along with empty beer cans and bottles littering the place. The bathrooms had cracked tiles and fake blood graffiti all along the tubs and shower stalls. The main dorms had ancient mattresses strewn across the room, only old wire remained from the bedframes. Electric outlets and light appliances hung lowly, ready to fall any given second. The further we went upstairs, the less vandalism there was. Obviously drunk college kids couldn't handle all the obstacles in the way. Bella and I had to hop over piles of bricks and several missing steps a few times. At last we reached what appeared to be an office with multiple banged up filing cabinets, all with old school hefty locks on them.

"May I?" Bella asked, her hand over one of the many locks. I nodded to give her the go ahead. She tore it off as if it were made of rubber and not metal. Bella did this a few times, looking for any sign of my presence, until finally she paused at one drawer.

"Well?" I asked, biting my lip in anticipation.

"I-I think this is you." She carefully removed a manila folder and handed it to me. On top there was a handwritten name, **Brandon, Mary Alice**. I put a trembling hand over my mouth, this was me. This was my past, not the future I've come so used to knowing. "Alice you don't have to do this. We can leave right now if you want."

"No. No I want to know." I took a deep breath and opened it up.

 **Name: Mary Alice Brandon**

 **Age: 19**

 **Sex: Female**

 **Height: 5'2**

 **Hair Color: Black**

 **Eye Color: Green**

 **Skin Color: White**

 **Reason for Stay: Delusions of future, night terrors, and lack of social skills**

 **Suggested Treatment: Exclusion from other patients and electroshock therapy**

 ** _*Disappeared from facility December 8, 1920. Presumed dead*_**

The last part was scribbled down in a rush. I had apparently started to cry, so Bella wrapped her warm arms around me and nuzzled into my neck from behind. It was all so much to take. This was why I had no memory of my human life? They shocked it out of me?

"I would kill every last one of them for you if they were still alive." Bella whispered into my hair and kissed my ear lightly. I turned and buried my face in her chest. She always made me feel safe, and I needed it in a bad way right now. I cried for a little bit and then regained my composure.

"I'm fine. Thank you. It's just hard to see it you know? But I'm glad I did this. It gives me closure." She smiled sadly as I led her back out of the building.

We drove back to the hotel in silence. I was busy thinking about what my life was like way back when. I wonder if I saw Bella even when I was human. But I would never know now.

"Come on. I'm going to cheer you up." Bella turned the car around abruptly.

"What? Where are you taking me?" She grinned a little deviously.

"You'll see." She drove us deep into the heart of the city, until we finally stopped outside a shabby looking club. Why on earth was she taking me here? "After you." Bella opened the door for me and I walked inside.

I could not have been more surprised. This ancient place looked like an old prohibition era dancing club inside. There was a jazz band, full bar, couples seated at tables, and several people dancing happily in the center.

"Oh my god. Bella! You-you are amazing!" I breathed out in disbelief. I may have not remembered my human years, but it felt so familiar. Her eyes twinkled and she took my hand, leading me to the dance floor.

"May I have this dance?" She asked while kissing my hand.

"I couldn't imagine dancing with anyone else." She smiled and suddenly spun me expertly. When the hell did Bella become a swing dance expert? I was already taken aback by her surprise, and now this? The need in me to just marry her right then and there was growing exponentially. "When did you get so good at dancing?"

"It helps to have coordination now. After that it just becomes natural." She shrugged nonchalantly. We danced jubilantly for a while, until Bella excused herself for a moment to speak to the band.

"Did you get me an autograph?" I laughed out when she came back. But the music had abruptly changed and my face went into complete shock.

"You told me this was your favorite song some time back. I know it doesn't exactly fit with the time theme, but…" Her voice was drowned out by my favorite song in the whole wide world, Ben E. King's _Stand By Me_.

 _When the night has come_

 _And the land is dark_

 _And the moon is the only light we'll see_

 _No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid_

 _Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

Bella pulled me close to her body as she led us in a slow dance. I pressed my cheek against her chest, never wanting this night to end.

 _If the sky that we look upon_

 _Should tumble and fall_

 _And the mountains should crumble to the sea_

 _I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear_

 _Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

I was beginning to purr contently as Bella hummed along with her chin resting on my head. She made dancing seem so effortless with her movements. Not too long ago she couldn't even walk with this much ease.

I'd been thinking a lot about where I belonged lately, where I was from and where I called home. But being here, safe and warm in Bella's arms, just made me know exactly where I belonged. Bella was my home and it didn't matter where I started, just where I was and would be for the rest of my life.

I looked up into my mate's eyes and she smiled down at me sweetly. She was absolutely perfect, and I had a sudden idea which caused me to beam. I'm so glad we finally got to do this trip.

 **Bella POV:**

The jazz club was a good idea. Alice relaxed immensely, and even looked elated after we left. But she was quiet when we got to the hotel and excused herself to check in on her family and fill them in on the news. I lay back in bed and thought of what human Alice would have looked like with long hair and green eyes. She was beautiful no matter what, but honestly I think I liked her more as a vampire. Not that I really knew what she was like before, but she was always so confident and chirpy in this life, and I think the vampirism helped with her cute cockiness. But I might be a little bias, I fell in love with her as she was now.

A while later Alice came back with her grin still in place. She jumped onto the bed and climbed up my body like my own personal cat.

"Well, what's got you so chipper?" I asked once she finally settled down on my chest and began to purr again.

"Everything is all good back there. Emmett says hi and Esme told me to tell you to eat more." I chuckled and played with her hair.

"Ah of course. How does she know? Did she put a bug on you?" She giggled and shook her head.

"I don't think so. I think she just has a sixth sense with your health."

"Mmmmm." I closed my eyes, it had been a long day.

"Go to sleep Bella. Before Esme calls about that." I let out a very weak laugh before fading into a comfortable slumber.

* * *

"Alright what's the plan today love?" I asked over breakfast the next morning while Alice was changing.

"I was thinking that we could go to that beach you mentioned. It sounds really beautiful." She came over to me wearing a stunning sun dress.

"Speaking of beautiful things, you look absolutely gorgeous today." She smiled and fluttered her eyes at me in that sexy innocent way. I licked my lips and went to make a move.

"Nah ah ah. We have things to do today. I can't have you delaying our plans." Alice had moved away just in time to avoid my touch. She waggled her finger at me and skipped towards the door, waiting for me to follow.

"Spoilsport." I mumbled grumpily, taking her awaiting hand and following her into the lobby.

I let Alice drive, she seemed to know exactly where she wanted to go. I also enjoyed just sitting back and watching my pixie's hair fly every which way in the wind.

"We're here!" She sang, jumping out of the car and not bothering with the door. Seriously what has got her in such a great mood? I mean yeah she's usually hyper and shit, but today seemed extra for some reason. She took my hand and dragged me along the beach, running every once in a while to make me chase after her. When I finally caught up with her, I suddenly realized we weren't alone.

"Liam? Wh-what are you doing here?" He just smiled at me and Alice squeezed my hand.

"Hey love, how would you feel about getting married today?"

"I-what?" My mouth was hanging open and my brain had stopped working momentarily. Oh my god was this why she was so cheerful today? When did she get Liam over here? How long had she been planning this? "I-Alice I'm in jeans and a tee!" I said, looking down at my attire for emphasis. She just giggled and nodded.

"I know. And I don't care. So?" I continued to gape at her and Liam for a good two minutes before finally speaking again.

"Are you sure about this? What made you want to do this today?"

"You of course. Last night I realized there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Bella I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And I don't want to wait anymore." Well when she put it like that.

"Yes. Yes I think I do want to marry you today." She positively beamed and jumped on her tip toes to give me a peck on the cheek. "Ok but that still doesn't answer my question. Why is Liam here?"

"Ahem." Liam cleared his throat behind me. "Alice asked me if I could officiate and of course my answer was a yes. Your girl made me get ordained the second you two got engaged." My brain went back to not working again.

"He's our family Bella. And I want him to be a part of this, of us." Alice said softly, unsure of if I was happy about this surprise.

"You're amazing." I whispered to her. "The both of you are." I turned back to Liam again.

"Alright then. Shall we begin?" He asked in an official voice. Alice looked back up at me and we both nodded.

The ceremony was relatively short, and I had a mini heart attack near the end when he asked for the rings. I hadn't picked anything out yet. But of course Alice had the wedding bands on her, I wondered if she got those the moment we got engaged as well. I smiled at the thought.

The most wonderful feeling flowed through my body when she slid that ring on my finger. I was hers forever, and she was mine. When Liam told us we could finally kiss, I dipped her down in a classic bridal move. Alice laughed and I picked her up after.

"Hey! Bella put me down!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that my dear. That dress is just too clean, I think it needs a little dip in the ocean."

"Bella no!" She squealed when I ran us into the surf. I didn't drop her in like I said I would. She continued to clutch onto my body for dear life until I carried her away from the waves. Liam was laughing at my shenanigans when I brought her back over. "I swear if you had dropped me I wouldn't have told you where we're going next."

"What? How many surprises do you have stored in that back pocket of yours for today?"

"Just one more. Our flight leaves in two hours."

"Flight? What flight? Where are we going?" I really wasn't liking all these secrets. Alice just giggled even more at my dumbfounded face.

"Our honeymoon of course! I believe I promised you three weeks of Isle Esme." My mouth immediately watered in hunger, but not for food.

"But what about work?"

"Already cleared." Liam said amusedly. "Now get out of here. I gotta get back, and you have a plane to catch." He winked and walked away from us.

"How did-how did you plan all of this so fast?"

"What can I say, I'm a smooth talker. Now come on my sweet confused wife." I purred loudly from her words. This little sneak was my wife. Forever.

* * *

 **A/N: So I did my research for this chapter. There is an abandoned insane asylum near where I live and this is the exact description. There were even the chairs they used for shock therapy still there. Also a separate building with some sketchy big furnaces. I'm shivering just thinking about what those were used for. Yeah it's a scary place, but honestly really intriguing to explore.**

 **I honestly love this song as well and when I listened to it the other day it just reminded me of these two lovebirds. Two more chapters folks. Two! Obviously the honeymoon is next, and then *grins wickedly* you'll just have to wait and see. Hope you all have fantastic days!**


	57. We've Gone Respectable

**Chapter 57:** **We've Gone Respectable**

 **Bella POV:**

I fell asleep on the flight over again and Alice had to gently wake me up when we landed. This time I knew where we were going and was able to enjoy the view more. And by the view, I mean my wife of course.

"You are unbelievable you know that?"

"Huh?" I had to pry my eyes away to respond to Alice's question.

"Are you incapable of acting like a normal human being and not drooling at my ass?" She giggled, her head turned in my direction while she steered the boat. I shrugged and went to make sure I actually wasn't drooling. "We're almost there. Think you can wait that long?"

"I don't know." I growled out, Alice's hands slipped on the wheel for a moment because of it.

"Lord help me." She shifted the throttle to full speed. I approached her from behind and set up camp in the crook of her neck. She was purring extremely loudly by the time we had arrived. Right when she went to hop off the boat, I swept her legs up and carried her the rest of the way. "Bella!"

"What? Isn't this a tradition for newlyweds?" I brought her over the threshold before setting her down carefully on the bed. Alice let out a series of soft moans when I sucked on her neck roughly. I had to let up a moment so she could remove my shirt and I her dress. But as soon as they were off, I returned to my spot greedily, getting high off her natural and aroused scent. "Mmmmm. So beautiful." I muttered as I made my way down her chest and unhooked her bra.

"Wait wait. Come back here. I want to look at you properly." She pulled my head up so our faces were inches apart.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. No, I just wanted to see your face." She whispered while caressing my cheek lightly. "Savor the moment." Her eyes held nothing but love and I was touched. We stayed staring at each other for quite some time, at least until I couldn't handle not being able to touch her again. I went back for the sweet spot on her neck and my hands began to run up and down her sides. Alice slowly stroked down my abdomen and unbuckled my belt. Months ago that movement would have set all my muscles on edge and my heartrate skyrocketing, but now it made me release a moan into her skin.

"Just take them off." I growled impatiently as she teased her fingers on the waistband. She giggled at my exasperation.

"Sorry. Old habits die hard." She maneuvered my jeans down and I kicked them off the rest of the way. Right when I was free of undergarments, I removed hers and then wrapped her legs around my waist. She let out the most delicious moan when I grinded my hips into hers. "You're killing me here."

"So impatient." I murmured against her lips, my hands were now massaging her breasts. Alice was growling at me at an increasing rate. She jerked her hips into mine to try and irritate me into speeding up the process, but I just continued my relentless foreplay.

Suddenly I found myself being flipped and with my back now pressed against the mattress and a very wound up Alice on top of me. Oh I was in for it now.

"You're too fucking slow." She growled out before sucking on my lips for dear life. How the hell does her tongue taste this good? I put one hand in her hair and another on her hip to pull her further into me. Alice abruptly pulled away from my lips and I let out an involuntary whine. But she merely giggled and moved to my neck while her hand trailed down my front slowly, touching every nerve on her way.

"Who's being slow now?" I said, gritting my teeth in anticipation. She stopped kissing my neck and went back to my head with a sly smile playing across her lips.

"What's wrong Bella?" She whispered, giving me a soft kiss, her hand teasing my inner thigh.

"Alice!" She was now running her finger over my clit with feather light force, it was torture.

"You seem to be a little agitated." Alice went to give me another kiss, but I grabbed her lip with my teeth and bit down hard. She finally let out a feral snarl and gave me what I wanted. She made the most sinful sound, moving her fingers slowly until I growled at her again. "So good." She muttered while kissing me heatedly, I sucked on her tongue in desperation.

"Jesus Alice!" Alice had now moved and was circling my nipple with her tongue. My head fell back into the pillows and I couldn't contain the constant stream of snarls coming from me anymore.

"Bellaaaaaa…. Let goooooo." Oh right. I keep doing that. Alice nipped at my neck and then gave me one last thrust. My eyes were shut tight, and it took me a few minutes to regain composure. When I came back to, Alice had curled herself onto my chest and was purring contently.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I had her pinned under me within seconds. "You are not getting off that easy." She grinned that sexy little smile that always makes me hungrier for her.

"Whatever you say, wife."

* * *

"Alright Bella, would you like to go to the waterfall or the reef today?"

"I'll go wherever you go." It was the second week of our honeymoon and the island life was just plain wonderful. Alice was now almost as good a cook as Esme and was spoiling me to no end.

"Have I ever told you how cheesy you are?"

"Oh at least thirty times." She giggled and kissed the top of my head as I continued to eat my breakfast.

"Ok then let's go to the reef. We can do a little exploring and work on that sexy tan you're getting." Her eyes raked down my body and I laughed at her horny expression. Alice has been loving the fact that I can get a tan, it seems to make her extremely sexually frustrated all the time.

"Sounds good to me." I finished my breakfast and joined Alice for our shower before heading out for the day.

The water was a beautiful clear blue and warm to the touch, perfect for swimming. Eventually I grew waterlogged and lay out on the sand, enjoying the sun while I could.

"You're staring again." I didn't even have to open my eyes to know where Alice's were.

"How did you know?"

"Because I can practically hear your mouth water." That comment earned me a good punch on the arm. "Ow!"

"Oh please. Like that could hurt you." I felt her settle herself back down next to me and reach for my hand. "I love looking at that." I opened my eyes to see what she was talking about. My dear wife was gazing lovingly at our intertwined left hands, ring fingers touching each other.

"You're so cute." She gave my finger a little kiss and then looked back up at my face.

"Tell me something I don't know." I laughed and tackled her into the sand. "Bella! You got me all dirty!" I purred before picking her up and taking us back into the ocean.

"Well maybe I'll fix it by getting you wet."

* * *

"Bella wake up!"

"No don't!" I shouted as I sat bolt upright in bed. Alice pulled my head into her lap to help me calm down and cool off. "Thanks."

"It's no problem." She sighed, stroking my hair softly. "That was the third bad one just this week Bella." She whispered in concern. My nightmares had been particularly relentless lately.

"It's the humidity I think. South America. That's where I was so I guess my subconscious doesn't like it."

"Maybe we shouldn't have come here."

"No no. I love it here! It's paradise."

"Yeah but I don't want you to be in pain!" Alice exclaimed, obviously upset by it all. I got up and stroked her cheek to comfort her.

"Hey I'm not in pain. They're just nightmares. I'm pretty used to them now really." Shit that didn't help. She just looked even more miserable. "Fuck sorry I didn't mean it like that. Listen, we can't just avoid half the world because it sort of reminds my inner mind of things. Besides, I'm really starting to move on from all this Volturi crap. I love my life now, and I love you." She smiled sadly and gave me a gentle kiss.

"I love you too." Alice put my head back down in her lap to lull me to sleep. "But just so you know, I'll never move on from it."

 **Alice POV:**

"Did you remember to pack my-?"

"Yes dear. I've got everything." Bella replied before I could finish, she knows me too damn well. I grumbled dejectedly, really it was just an excuse to try and stay a little longer. It was the end of our wonderful honeymoon, and I of course did not want to go back. Bella chuckled at my depressed attitude and ruffled my hair before getting on the boat. "You coming?"

"No. No I'm not leaving. You'll just have to stay here with me forever."

"Well as amazing as that sounds, I'm afraid we have a family to get back to." Damn. She was right.

"Ugh alright. But I'm only doing this for you." She smiled and took my hand to pull me aboard.

"That's my girl."

* * *

My mood still had not improved by the time we got back, but I did smile a bit when we pulled up and I remembered that no one besides Liam had seen us since before the wedding. I hadn't even told them I already officially changed my name to Swan.

"Thank you love." I gave Bella a peck for opening my door for me. She carried our bags in and I followed her inside. But I only got two feet in before _I_ was tackled this time. Is this how Bella feels whenever we tackle her? It's very startling. Emmett pulled me up into a head lock and was shaking with laughter.

"They're back!" He called out, bringing everyone over almost immediately.

"My babies!" Esme yelled and grabbed Bella and I by the neck into a crushing hug.

"Mom!" I groaned in embarrassment. Maybe we should have snuck back in another way and avoided all this trouble. As if she read my mind, Bella chuckled and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

The congratulations and wedding reliving lasted a good hour, I'm surprised Bella didn't try to divorce me because of my family already. But no, my wife was perfect, she sat through it all with a huge smile on her face.

"Wow I can't believe Bella is finally a bad-ass Cullen now." Emmett said, grinning like an idiot.

"Actually, no she's not." I whispered, unsure of what their reactions would be. I looked to Bella for some help, but she just smiled at me with a twinkle in her eye that said 'you asked for it'. Oh that woman is damn aggravating sometimes.

"What do you mean she's not? Did you hyphenate?" Rosalie asked, eyeing the both of us.

"No….." I bit my lip. "Um, I took her last name." The room was dead silent. Holy crap they hate me! "It's just I wanted Bella and I to-" Carlisle stopped my babbling with a hug.

"You don't have to explain anything to us Alice. You're a family now, and we're all one." He pulled Bella into it.

"Awwwwww!" Emmett squealed, pushing Carlisle off and wrapping us both in his big bear arms.

"Alright alright enough with the hugging! What did we miss while we were gone?" Bella asked, pulling my clingy brother off of her. But the room suddenly went dead silent again. That's not good.

"Liam?" I looked to my new brother, hoping he would explain.

"Well, we've made the news again." He said cryptically. Bella's muscles immediately tensed up and her jaw hardened.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice on edge.

"There-there's a lawsuit." Once again he answered with very little information that helped.

"A lawsuit against who?" Bella's voice was getting tighter and tighter, and I could feel her body start to tremble in anger.

"Us Bells." Liam ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "They're saying that we belong in a lab and shouldn't be considered as citizens. If they win, we'll be considered as government property." I couldn't tell if I was now shaking or if Bella was so hard that it was shaking me.

"They what?!" I yelled, eyeing my family in hopes that it was all just a sick joke they were playing on us.

"I'm afraid it's true." Carlisle said dejectedly. "It's already in the supreme court, The People of the United States vs. Jackson and Swan."

"What? Wh-why didn't you call us?" Bella was absolutely infuriated.

"We didn't want to disturb your honeymoon!" Rosalie said, trying to calm my enraged mate. "And really everyone here says it won't go anywhere. Really! They already sent a bunch of witnesses for you guys and how amazing you are. We were watching the news coverage yesterday and all the reporters agree that you will win." Ok that made me feel better. Obviously not Bella though.

"But they don't agree do they?" Her shaking was getting into dangerous levels now, I had to do something.

"Bella sweetie, everyone here knows the real you. Even if the general public doesn't like you it doesn't even matter."

"Doesn't matter? So it doesn't matter to you if they deem me as just a failed lab experiment? Just a piece of property?"

"Hey that is not what I said. You need to calm down."

"But it is! You said you don't care about what I'm labeled as!"

"I don't!" I was getting frustrated as her hard headedness. I loved her no matter what people may think.

"So you don't care if I'm as useful as a plot of land? You don't care about the fact that if that's the case, we're not even fucking married?!" Well I didn't think about that, but really I still didn't. What mattered was what I thought.

"Bella please calm down!"

"How can I fucking calm down with this shit? There are people I have never met before deciding what I am! Jesus I need air." She said angrily, getting away from me as fast as she could.

"Bella wait!" I didn't mean for this to turn into a fight.

"Not now Alice! Just leave me alone!" She stormed out the door and I distinctly heard her phase and run off. Well this was not how I imagined this day going.


	58. Till Death Do Us Part

**Chapter 58:** **Till Death Do Us Part**

 **Zoey POV:**

"Hey Emmett, would you mind turning it up a bit?"

"Sure thing Zo." Emmett turned up the volume on the TV a few more notches for me, the only person in the room with human hearing. We were all currently seated in the lounge, watching the live coverage outside the court room. And by all of us, I mean everyone but Bella and Carlisle. Carlisle was busy working on some new medical instruments and Bella was busy avoiding us. It's only been two days since the big fight and Bella is still extremely pissed. I looked across from me at a depressed Alice staring at the screen with glassy eyes.

The problem is, I agree with both of them. I understand why Bella is so upset with it all, but I also see Alice's view about how it doesn't matter to her. I think everyone else is as split as I am because no one had taken any sides. Liam must have known what I was thinking about because he gave my knee a comforting squeeze.

"She'll come round." He whispered into my ear quietly. Bella was currently burning off steam by working out nonstop. Poor Alice. I could barely handle Liam going on missions away from me, let alone being in the same area but dodging each other. Just then, Bella walked in angrily, covered in sweat with her earbuds in.

"Bella you wanna watch with us? Bella?" Liam called her a little louder the second time so she would hear through her music. She stopped and pulled the buds out of her ears.

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted to watch with us." Liam said calmly, but the entire room tensed up. Bella's eyes made a tiny movement to look at Alice, but she tightened her jaw before responding even more annoyed.

"No thanks." She went to walk towards her room, but stopped abruptly, every muscle on edge. She looked around, as if she was trying to listen to something extremely quiet.

"Bella what-?"

"GET DOWN!" I only got one good glimpse of everyone with terrified expressions before something hard threw me off the couch and there was an ear splitting sound of an explosion.

* * *

Ringing. All I could hear was ringing. It took me a few tries to open my eyes, but when I did all I could see was dust flying around everywhere. There was a horrible stabbing pain in my abdomen and I looked down to see there was a large piece of rebar sticking out of me. I went to pull it out, but strong hands stopped me.

"Don't." Bella was right on top of me. She was the one that threw me off the sofa, she put her entire body on top of mine to shield me. But it wasn't enough. The large piece of rebar was actually embedded in her, from her back all the way through. Her body had lessened the blow for me. "Carlisle!" She called out frantically, I began to panic at the amount of blood. "Hey hey. Zoey look at me. Look at my face. You're going to be ok. It's going to be fine. CARLISLE!" I tried to look at her face like she told me to, but some blood was now coming out of her mouth and it was making things much worse. So I moved my head to assess the others damage.

Oh I should not have done that. The room was not recognizable. Everyone was down and there were multiple body parts scattered around. Liam's body was the closest to us, I didn't need super hearing to know he was dead. Tears started flowing from my eyes. It was all too much. Bella was still yelling for Carlisle and there were the sounds of gunshots and people screaming from down the hall.

 _"Down the hall! They're in the hall! Keep them bottled up!"_ The nearest voices were calling out orders.

"Jesus what happened?" Finally Carlisle came running into the room panic stricken.

"Does it matter right now?! Help her!" He nodded and examined our middles, Bella was now grunting in pain from the effort to keep herself positioned above me without moving. I was feeling lightheaded from the blood loss.

"Ok. Ok I can fix this. I just need my bag." I'd never seen Carlisle so stressed before.

"Your family!" I cried out, still searching for any conscious Cullen around.

"They'll be fine Zoey. Momentarily knocked out from the force. But they will be good as new in a few hours, limbs attached and all." That made me feel tremendously better. But my mate was still dead, and Bella didn't look like she'd be lasting much longer. "Bella I need you. Once I pull the debris out of you and Zoey, I need you to run and get my bag from my office while I hold pressure on the wound."

"You-your office?" Bella actually appeared to be scared. I'd never seen her scared in my life. What was she worried about?

"Yes Bella my office! What's wrong?" Carlisle was just as confused about her demeanor as well as I. There was still a constant stream of screaming and gun fire coming from the hallway towards Carlisle's office, but it sounded much farther away. Was that what she was worried about? "Bella if you don't she'll die!" Well so much for trying to keep me calm.

 _"Don't let them get past this point! Hold the line!"_

"Ok." Bella swallowed and looked down at me with something in her eyes that I couldn't decipher. Sadness? Worry? Pain? They were all there plus something extra. "Ok ok ok. One second." She reached up and yanked the chain with her dog tags off her neck and handed them to me.

"Wha-?" I went to ask but she interrupted me quickly.

"Everything's going to be ok Zoey. I'm coming back. I promise." She looked over to where Alice's unconscious body was. "I'm coming back." And with that, Carlisle pulled the piece of iron out from both of us. Bella and I let out pained yells as Carlisle placed both his hands over my now very open wound. She had run away down the hall before I even noticed she had left. How she was running with a hole right through her torso was beyond me. I was reminded once again of how much she loved and would do anything for the people she cared for.

"Alright Zoey I need you to just breathe normally. Bella will be back soon and I can mend that wound in no time. Just relax." Easier said than done. The gunshots were getting louder and the shouting was getting closer.

 _"They're getting away! They're getting away! STOP THEM!"_ Who's they? I figured we were under attack after the explosion, but now everything was finally coming together. My stomach clenched in complete panic. Where was Bella? Who were they?

It seemed to be hitting Carlisle as well because he started frantically scanning up for any signs of Bella. The terror in my chest was building by each passing second that she didn't come back, and the shouting grew further away.

"No no no no no." Carlisle's eyes were as alarmed as mine were I'm sure. "NO NO!" Finally a couple uniformed personnel came in, one of them carrying Carlisle's bag.

"Dr. Cullen this was right outside the room." He took it with shaking hands and tried to fix me while I trembled uncontrollably.

"Bella. Where's Bella?" The man ignored me and continued to help Carlisle with his work. "Where's Bella?!" I was getting frustrated by the lack of information.

"Just relax Zoey. You're going to be fine."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ME! WHERE'S BELLA?" They had to push me back down as I struggled to get up.

"She's gone Zoey. The-they got her." Bile went up to my throat.

"What do you mean they? Who are they?"

"The Volturi."

I didn't care about anything anymore, not even myself. I clawed, kicked, and trashed against Carlisle's restraints, trying to get back to her. Trying to get back to Bella.

"BELLA! BELLA! BELLAAAAAAA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, clutching onto the tags she had given me. She promised me. She promised she would come back. "BELLAAAAAAAAAA!"

 **Alice POV:**

Everything had happened so fast. I was still upset about our fight and was trying to ignore Bella, but it was so damn hard. Then of course everything blew up, quite literally, and I was knocked out from the force.

When things were starting to come back, it was a living hell. Almost my entire family was down, some were starting to awaken like I was, and several were missing limbs. My attention was drawn to my father struggling with a very panicked Zoey. She appeared to be severely injured and Carlisle was trying to tend to it. But it was difficult with her constant squirming and screaming. My ears were still repairing so I couldn't quite make out what she was yelling, it was all muffled.

"BELLA! BELLA! BELLAAAAAAA!" Bella? Why was she screaming my mate's name? Where was Bella? "BELLAAAAAAAAAA!" Wait, why was she holding Bella's identification tags. My nose distinctly picked up the smell of Bella's fresh blood. Something was wrong.

"Carlisle?" I croaked out to get his attention. He turned to me with extreme agony in his eyes. He was crying. "Carlisle what's wrong? Where's Bella?"

"Alice. Alice she's gone." He choked out. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

"What? What do you mean she's gone? Like she's down?" He wasn't making any sense. Carlisle wouldn't have been this upset if Bella had died, yeah it sucked when she was in pain from it, but she always woke up.

"No Alice. They took her. The-the Volturi got her. She's gone."

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Alright before anyone hits me, yes I'm writing a sequel. This is just where this book needs to end. The sequel will have a little different of a style with points of views and how long chapters are and such. I must be a bit of a sadist because I really enjoyed writing this chapter.** **I've been saving this chapter name ever since In Sickness and And In Health chapters. It's all part of the plan.**

 **Thank you thank you thank you guys for everything! I am just enjoying writing in general, and all this love just makes me so happy.**

 **Please please please do me a favor and review this story. Tell me what you liked or didn't like. What you wanted more or less of. What you would like to see in the future. Anything like that sort will help me with writing the sequel to make it better. Just like last time, I have the main outline and points but really it can be altered here and there if people are wanting things. I aim to please.**

 **Seriously once again thank you guys for everything. I will be working on that sequel, it might be a week or so until the first chapter goes out, but I already have the cover made up. My whole family is in town and I have graduation this weekend, which of course means I have to be social :/ The name of it will be** ** _Warmth_** **, so be on the lookout.**

 **Happy reading** **:)**


	59. Author's Notes

Hey just letting y'all know the first chapter of the sequel is now up! It's called _Warmth_. Here's a quick summary:

Dealing with the aftermath of Bella's violent disappearance, Alice tries to navigate through the dark without the light of her mate. Bella struggles to hold onto her humanity while in captivation and makes tough decisions. Everyone else fights to distract themselves on what goes on around them. Bella/Alice pairing. M for language, violence, and adult situations.


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